Click here for update list of
BREAKER ALUMNI

(updated 3/1/10)


Antone Gray

Mike Myers Keitt


Aaron Strothers


Cooper Bayiha

Barry Latham



 
Jimmy Baron

Demetrius Nichols

Joe Mazzula
 

Rocco Baldelli

Lamar Barrett

David Wilson

Jimmy Baron

 

 

 

2009 COLLEGE SHOWCASE NOTEABLE PERFORMANCES
An enthusiastic group of talented players from New England and New York took to the spacious hardwood courts at the Mass Premier Basketball Facility in Foxborough Mass to show their game to college coaches and scouting services in the sold out 5th Annual RI Breakers College Showcase.
-->CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE ARTICLE<--

 


RI Breakers 13's defeated national power Albany City Rocks to capture the 2009 King of the Mountain Tournament held at Siena College in Albany NY.  "The guys played their hearts out !  I couldn't be more proud of the effort I received from all our guys,"  said an elated Coach Holland.


15U RI Breakers, coached by Dave Anderson, defeated The BABC 63-60 to win the 2009 Gold Division Boys Regional Qualifier at Mass Premier on May 17th.

Click on photos for larger images

RI Breakers College Showcase Wrap-Up
Upwards of 20 Division 2 and Division 3 coaches along with the New England Recruiting Service’s Adam Finklestein spent the better part of Sunday on three courts at the Mass Premier Facilities in Mansfield, Mass. to take a peek at a wide variety of the close to 90 players from the New England area.  Many of the usual suspects performed to their level of ability or higher like Ike Azotam, Mike Rivera, Ray Bowen, Reuben Cabrara, Dennis Clifford, Jeremy Cumberlander, Aziz Dieng, Chris Flores, John Hickson, Danny Majchrzak, Parris Massey, Louis Montes, Ryan Pina, & Troy Robinson.  Others that caught our eye:
<click here for rest of story>


West Virginia point guard Joe Mazzulla took advantage of a recent trip to work on two aspects of his game.
Click here for the story

 

On Sunday June 1, 2008, the RI Breakers 14U National Team won the Reebok Summer Invitational Tournament held at Basketball City in Boston Mass.  As tournament champions, the RI Breakers won sneakers for each member on the team.

The RI Breakers are headed to the National AAU Championship in Orlando’s Wide World of Sports July 31-August 8 to compete against teams from all across the





14U Breaker Reebok Champs
Front row; Rob Hazard (North Kingstown), Mike Ferrante (North Providence),Garrett Douglass (Coventry), Patrick Doyle (Narragansett).   Back row; Coach David Anderson, Ryan Anderson (Johnston),  Julian Mardenli,(East Greenwich), Tevin Noka (Middletown), MJ Neal (North Providence), Cesar Mejia (Providence), Derryck Kilgore (North Kingstown)  and Assistant Coach David Anderson.

 

 

RI Breakers Spring Showcase – Event Recap

March 19th, 2008
NewEnglandRecruitingReport.com

The New England Recruiting Report traveled to Mass Premier Courts on Sunday night to check out the action at the Rhode Island Breakers Spring Showcase.  There was an impressive collection of talent on hand as roughly 20 division II and III college coaches looked on.
FOR MORE ON THIS STORY, CLICK HERE

 



Sports of The Times:  Tough-Guy Player Emulates Tough-Guy Coach
By WILLIAM C. RHODEN
The stories about Joe Mazzula’s and West Virginia’s transition under the team’s new coach, Bob Huggins, will grow as their run in the tournament continues.

West Virginia players Cam Thoroughman, left, Joe Mazzulla, center, and Jonnie West celebrating their victory.

Photo: Susan Walsh/Associated Press

 

 

Clark Sophomore Mark Alexander Named NEWMAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week

Alexander averaged 14.5 points and 5.5 rebounds to lead Clark to a 2-0 week and its highest regular season NEWMAC finish (2nd) since 2002-03. The sophomore forward scored 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field and pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds in Clark's 92-90 come-from-behind victory over Wheaton College on Saturday. He added eight points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 21 seconds left in regulation, to lift Clark to a 58-56 victory over MIT earlier in the week. Alexander also chipped in with two steals and two assists in the game.

 

 


PC's Jeff Xavier, left and Geoff McDermott tie up Florida State's Ralf Mims Saturday at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. The Friars won, 101-95.
Journal photo / John Freidah

NORTHEAST-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
James Sorrentine, Saint Michael's (Sr., G, Pawtucket, R.I.) - Averaged 26.5 points per game in two wins over UMass Lowell, 72-64, and Pace, 93-86, on the week.  Averaged 5 assists and shot 13-13 from the free throw line and 10-22 from beyond the arc.

 


LaSalle's (10) Pucci Angell dives while making a pass, as Feinstein's (11) Jerell Gomes and (21) Cameron Benton cover in the first half. 
Feinstein was victorious 82-69.

Credit:  The Providence Journal - Ruben W. Perez


Providence's Jeff Xavier, center, shoots for the basket between the defense of Temple's Dionte Christmas, right, and Sergio Olmos during the second half of a college basketball game in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007 Providence won 66-64. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

Clark University basketball player Mark Alexander was named to New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) All-Conference team.

A native of Providence, R.I., Alexander topped Clark in scoring and finished eighth in the league with 13.5 ppg. The first-year forward notched 18 double-digit games, including an eight-game stretch in double figures and five 20-point contests. Alexander tallied a career-high 25 points in a victory over eventual NEWMAC Champion Coast Guard Academy earlier this season. He received numerous honors this winter, earning Worcester Area Basketball Coaches Association Rookie of the Week accolades twice and NYU All-Tournament Team recognition.

fortes
Brandon Fortes in action for Worcester State

Cavaliers sign rookie Demetris Nichols

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Cavaliers signed rookie Demetris Nichols to a contract Monday as they finalized their opening-day roster for the 2007-08 season.

The club did not disclose contract terms on Nichols, who averaged 4.8 points in five exhibition games with the New York Knicks, who waived him last week.

His addition will give coach Mike Brown more bench depth. He could also help offset the loss of forward Sasha Pavlovic, a restricted free agent who remains unsigned in a contract holdout with the Cavs.

The 6-foot-8 Nichols averaged 18.9 points laat season at Syracuse and was a first-team All-Big East selection. Nichols, 23, was taken by Portland with the No. 53 overall pick before he was traded on draft day to New York for a second-round selection.

 


 

Breaker Challenge Results

11 Champions Crowned in 100 Team Breaker Challenge

100 teams invaded the Community College of RI, Neutaconakut Rec. Center and Rhode Island College to compete in the 8th Annual Breaker Challenge.  The 100 teams ( 20 wait listed or shut out) was the 2nd largest boy’s basketball tournament ever hosted in Rhode Island.  Championship teams received T-Shirts and a basketball.

 The Champions Were:
11- RI Breakers
12- RI Breakers
13- Gold NE Select - Mass
13- Silver Baystate Jaguars- Mass
14- Gold RI Breaker  (New England Champions)
14- Silver RI Breakers ( 13’s)
15- Gold- RI Breakers
15- Silver Dix Hills Basketball Club- New York
16- Long Island Lightning  New York
17- Gold RI Breakers
17- Silver RI Breakers

 


 

 

!! Breakers 15’s Capture
Northeast Hoop Festival Crown !!
<read more>

 


 

 

14-Under Rhode Island Breakers A.A.U. Team Crowned
New England’s Super Regional Champions

(click for entire article)

 

 

 


 

JEFF XAVIER

link to story..click here


 

 


Michael Lehane

 


 

 

Bloodlines run thick for these SRA, EP players
from the Pawtucket Times.com
One wears Purple & Gold for Pawtucket's most prominent parochial school. The other dons Red & White for one of the biggest high schools in the state. This alone suggests Antone Gray and Bobby Perry exist in alternate universes, separate paths never to be crossed.
click here for the rest of the story

 

Alexander Named WACBA Men's Basketball Rookie of the Week

WORCESTER, MASS. 1/09/07 - Clark University's Mark Alexander has been
named the Worcester Area College Basketball Association's (WACBA) Rookie of
the Week, it was announced on Tuesday. It is the second time he has received the honor.

A native of Providence, R.I., Alexander averaged 21.3 points and 3.7 rebounds to lead Clark to a 2-1 record during the break. The freshman forward shot 59% from the field, 56.3% from three-point range, and 64.3% from the free throw line in three games. He had a career-high 25
points, shooting 11-for-15 from the floor, four steals, and four assists in the Cougars' 102-91 double overtime NEWMAC victory over Coast Guard last Saturday. In the NYU Christmas Tournament, Alexander, who was named to the All-Tournament team, scored 16 points, including a last second three-pointer  in Clark's 81-80 win over Baruch College in the opening round and later poured in a game-high 23 points in a 64-54 loss to NYU in the
championship game. He leads the team in scoring with 12.8 ppg.

Clark (7-4, 1-0 NEWMAC) will resume its conference schedule on Thursday
when it travels to Wheaton College for a 7 p.m. tilt.

 

 


Can you name this popular
RI Official?

 

 

11 Year Old Breaker Lee Messier
representing
at National Finals.
Lee
will be off to Colorado Springs Colorado on August 10th.
With his family to represent the Eastern Regional in the Jr. Olympics Basketball shootout skills competition.  After winning the town competition in Narragansett, Lee then won the state competition and was informed he would be representing the Eastern Region.  The competition will be held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado .
  Good Luck Lee from everyone in Rhode Island

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike Reed put up 20 points and had 7 rebounds in leading Mt. Pleasant to a
68-66 victory over D 1 league favorite Cranston West.

 

 

Blue Hens Rally Late, Get Big Effort from Nana for 67-64 Victory over Stetson
RALEIGH, NC -- The University of Delaware men’s basketball team trailed the entire game before using an 11-3 run to take the lead with two minutes left and held on to post a 67-64 victory over Stetson in the second round of the Hispanic College Fund Classic Tournament Saturday night at North Carolina State’s RBC Center.

Henry Olawoye came off the bench to add 10 points and seven rebounds.  The Hens took the lead for good just one minute later when Courtney hit one free throw to make it 61-60, Olawoye hit a turnaround jumper, and Nana came up with his big dunk to up the lead to 65-60 with 32 seconds left.  Olawoye and
Andrew Washington each added free throws down the stretch to preserve the win.

 

 

 


 

Junior forward Demetris Nichols scored a

team-high 19 points versus Bucknell.

 

 


BARON NAMED ATLANTIC 10 MEN'S BASKETBALL ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
The freshman helps the Rams to a 1-1 week, including a win over Brown on Saturday.

 Rhode Island freshman guard Jimmy Baron  was named the Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Rookie of the Week, Sunday.  Baron averaged 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, while going
9-of-19 (.474) from the field (including 6-of-12 from three-point range) in two games last week.
He had a team-high 16 points to go with three rebounds and a two assists in a 66-50 loss at Utah on Tuesday (Nov. 22).  Baron followed that with eight points, five rebounds, and three assists in
the Rams' 57-40 win over Brown on Saturday (Nov. 26)

 

"They Stuck With Me"

 

By BlueGoldNews.com
Date: Jul 8, 2005

Joe Mazzulla is the kind of recruit that’s easy to cheer for. Articulate and polite, Mazzulla displays a very thankful and positive outlook on his recruitment by WVU.


“They offered me last November before they made that great run to the Elite Eight. Afterward, they (WVU) could have gone after higher-profile recruits but they stuck with me and I stuck with them,” the Rhode Island player of the year said.

Steady is a good word to describe Mazzulla’s game. In both of his games with the 76ers Wednesday at the Reebok ABCD Camp, the left-hander was effective at penetrating into the lane and making something positive happen either for himself or his teammates. One teammate in particular, Daniel Hackett (6-5 200) from Downey, Calif., was the benefactor of several of Mazzulla’s passes.

Mazzulla also showed he can easily penetrate, stop on a dime and pull-up and hit the medium range jumper in the lane. Mazzulla demonstrated the ability to see the entire court, although he appears to be slightly less than his reported 6-2 height. On defense, Mazzulla is a very pesky defender and disrupted numerous passes by deflecting or stealing the ball from his opponent.

“I’m not flashy.” Mazzulla said. “I ‘m strong fundamentally and I make my teammates better by setting them up for easy baskets or open looks. I’m definitely a pass-first, shoot-second kind of player. I can score, don’t get me wrong, but being a strong leader on the court is probably my greatest strength.”

“Coach Beilein has told me he is expecting a lot from me next year,” Mazzulla said. “I have to be ready to play right away and go with Darris Nichols as soon as I arrive on campus.” Mazzulla expects to enroll at WVU next July during one of the summer sessions.

If Wednesday is any indication, WVU appears to have found a solid replacement at the point guard position to help ease the loss of J.D. Collins after this season. West Virginia has now settled into a nice rotation at the point. Nichols will have spent two seasons backing up Collins after next year, and will be primed to move into the starting spot as a junior. Mazzulla, arriving at the same time, could then follow Nichols' path and make his own push for the starting job two years later

 

CCRI's Mirkovic to join SMC in the fall

COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's College men's basketball coach Tom O'Shea has announced that Milos Mirkovic (Novi Sad, Serbia)  has signed a NCAA national letter of intent and will play for the Division II Purple Knights this fall.

                        Mirkovic, a 6-foot-8-inch center, played one year for Coach David Chevalier at the Community College of Rhode Island after one season at Division II Wingate (N.C.) University and a standout high-school career at Saint Andrews School in Barrington, R.I. Mirkovic played in every game for CCRI this season, averaging 8.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 53.3 percent from the field. He led the Knights to an undefeated record in Region XXI play, and a District Tournament championship.

            "Milos will give us a big body who is a post player, which is something we certainly need," said O'Shea, who enters his ninth season at the helm of the Purple Knights in the fall with a 124-106 career record. "He has played two years at the college level, which gives him the experience to step in and contribute immediately. We will look for him to rebound and become a post presence."

 

 

 

 

Hawks' Mazzulla chooses West Virginia over URI

Journal / Ruben W. Perez

Bishop Hendricken guard Joe Mazzulla couldn't pass on the opportunity to play Big East basketball.
BY KEVIN McNAMARA
Journal

When all of the the handwritten postcards, school brochures and pictures of one West Virginia athlete after another kept coming to his house, Joe Mazzulla took notice.
Almost every day over the last year, the Bishop Hendricken junior point guard found West Virginia material in his mail box. That's one key reason why Mazzulla approached Mountaineer coach John Beilein on his official visit to the campus on Tuesday.
"They put absolutely no pressure on me, but I found out that was the best place for me," Mazzulla said yesterday. "So I went to coach Beilein and told him I wanted to be a Mountaineer."
As Mazzulla spoke yesterday, he received a text message from his future coach on his cell phone that read: We are all smiles here at West Virginia University.
Mazzulla, a Journal All-Stater who led Hendricken to a 19-1 record and its second straight state title last winter, said he'll sign a letter-of-intent with WVU in November. He had narrowed his college choices down to WVU or Rhode Island, and he says calling Rhody coach Jim Baron with the news on Tuesday wasn't easy. Mazzulla and Baron's son, Jim, Jr., were backcourt mates with the Hawks for two seasons.
"It was very tough to say no to Rhode Island, a very tough phone call," Mazzulla said. "But coach Baron knows I respect him a lot."
Mazzulla, a 6-foot-2, 185-pounder who lives in Johnston, averaged 16 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 2.5 steals as a junior. He's also a top track athlete who just won the state 400 meters (49.77) and was part of a 4x400 relay team that finished second in the State Meet.
Mazzulla said he's always wanted to play in the Big East and had favored Providence College. While the Friars recruited him for nearly two years, a scholarship offer never came. That only cemented Mazzulla's belief in Beilein, according to Mazzulla's father, Dan, a star hoop player at Bryant in the 1970s.
"I'm ecstatic. We always talked about playing at the highest level," Dan Mazzulla said, "and what happened with Providence might have left doubt in Joe's mind, but West Virginia never wavered. Not once."
West Virginia first contacted Mazzulla after seeing him at a summer camp before his sophomore year in high school. Beilein flew up here to watch Joe Mazzulla work out at Hendricken two months ago, but no member of the Mountaineers' coaching staff ever saw their future point guard play in a Rhode Island high school game. They have seen him play extensively with his AAU team, the Rhode Island Breakers.
Mazzulla will travel with the Breakers to tournaments in New Jersey and Las Vegas this summer.
Mazzulla is a big hoops fan and couldn't hide his excitement over playing in the new, 16-team Big East.
"Just the places I get to play in -- Freedom Hall, the Carrier Dome, Cincinnati, Connecticut. It's great," he said.
Mazzulla becomes only the fourth Rhode Islander to play men's basketball in the Big East, joining Tony Robertson (Connecticut), Abdul Abdullah (PC) and Kenny McDonald (PC).

 

RAKIM SANDERS STORY

 

RI  Breaker  13's  Take  Tourney  Title

Warwick, RI - The 13 yr old squad took home another title this weekend,
their third on the young season, with a championship game victory over Team
Providence at the Breaker's Spring Tournament at CCRI.

In their first game of the tournament on Friday night, an explosive scoring
attack led by guards Malcolm Moniz and Curt Lucas gave the Breakers a
decided advantage for a 83-39 victory.  The 13's second game was a tough
contest against M.A.D. Basketball of Massachusetts.  The Breakers opened up
an 18 point lead at one point in the second half before allowing the M.A.D.
club to creep back into the game and tie the score with 2 minutes to go in
regulation.  Down by 1 with 11 seconds to go, forward Nick Manning drilled a
three point shot and was fouled to give the 13's the lead by two.  Manning's
free throw attempt came up short and M.A.D. drove the length of the court to
tie the game and send the contest into overtime.  Forward Quinneil Simmon's
free throws and defensive play at the end of overtime sealed the 55-52 win
for his squad.  Defensively, the Breakers were led in the game by Simmons,
Manning, Moniz and forward Michael Ryan.  The 13's final game was against
Mass Elite who proved to be overmatched versus the talented Breakers.  Final
score was 86-46 in favor of the Breakers.  Guard Jordan Jones and forward
Frank Robinson led the Breakers in scoring.

In the championship game, the 13's took on Team Providence who had rolled
through their bracket in pool play.  Team Providence's talented, athletic
squad gave the Breakers all they could handle in the first half playing
aggressive defense and forcing numerous turnovers.  However led by the
scoring of Simmons, Jones and guard Bryan Vachon, the Breakers outscored
Team Providence an amazing 52-18 in the second half to pull away for the
championship.  The team is off this weekend and will next play in the
Commotion by the Ocean tournament in Providence over Mother's Day Weekend.
The Breaker 13's will be traveling to Albany twice this season with trips
scheduled for Nike tournaments in Columbus, Ohio and Las Vegas, Nevada as
well as competing for the AAU National Championship in June in Memphis,
Tennessee.

 

Breaker 13's Strong Effort Comes Up Short Versus Above and Beyond in Providence Jamfest

Providence, RI- At the HoopGroup's 8th annual Providence Jamfest, the RI
 Breaker's 13 yr old squad went undefeated in pool play with victories over
 CMAC North, the New Hampshire Stingrays, and the New Jersey Panthers before
 dropping a close quarter-final game in tournament play to a tough Above and
 Beyond (formally the NY Gouchos) squad. 
 
With an 8 point lead and just over a minute remaining, the 13's couldn't
capitalize on a number of scoring opportunities off the Above and Beyond
 press.  After holding an 8-10 point lead for most of the game, the Breakers
 actually found themselves trailing by a point with 25 seconds to go when
forward Nick Manning was fouled.  Manning made two free throws with 18
seconds left to give his team the lead again 49-48.  With only 11 seconds to
 go, Above and Beyond sank two free throws to take the lead for good.
 
Playing well over the weekend for the Breaker 13's were Nick Manning and
 Quinneil Simmons along with Curt Lucas and Michael Ryan, both of whom were
 named to the All-Tournament team.  The weekend was a successful one for the
 talented 13's who have proven they can play among the top teams at their age
 level.  The Breaker 13's have the weekend off and will next play in the
 Breakout Tournament the weekend of April 22-24.

 

 

HENDRICKEN'S JOE MAZZULLA

 


Journal photo / Glenn Osmundson
AAU basketball has grown to an extremely high level of quality over the past twenty years. Often, a young player finds his best opportunity to showcase his skills during the Spring and Summer AAU season against top notch competition. This is especially true for up and coming Rhode Island players, who play their high school ball in what is generally thought of as a lower-end interscholastic league.
...MORE ON THIS STORY, CLICK HERE

 

Breakers Bust Out At Barros BBall Classic

Finally getting over the off season doldrums and an awful first week back,  the 14 year olds went 5-0 this weekend to win the MYCW Dana Barros Classic.  Lead by dominating guard play, and the rebounding prowess of Andrew Williams, The 8th grade classes improved play took a 67-34 win over the host team Coastal Pops Gold.  In the semi final game against Worcester Boys Club, the great guard play of Ryan Santos, Nyheem Sanders, and Pucci Angel proved to be too much to handle.  The inside and outside play of Jeff Holmes and Matt Chiccarelli and the dominating inside game of Ryan Lahane were big roles in all 5 games.

The 14 year old Breakers will be in action again this weekend in Providence at Hoop Groups Jam Fest Tournament.

 

 

 

SORRENTINE WINS FOURTH NE-10 FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK AWARD
                         COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's College men's basketball standout James Sorrentine (Pawtucket, R.I./Saint Raphael Academy) was named the Northeast-10 Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday, while a pair of Purple Knight cagers earned spots on the Weekly Honor Roll.
Sorrentine averaged 20.5 points, 4.5 assists, 3.5 rebounds and just one turnover per contest in a 1-1 week. He notched a game-high 28 points, connecting on eight 3-pointers, and a team-best six assists in Tuesday's 89-84 win versus Assumption College at the Ross Sports Center. He added 13 points, four rebounds and two steals in Saturday's overtime loss at American International College.
This is the fourth time this season, and the second straight week, that Sorrentine has earned top freshman honors. The 5-10 guard leads the conference and all Division II freshmen with 3.75 3-pointers per game, and he has played all 215 minutes for Saint Michael's the last five contests.

 

 

 

RAY CROSS NAMED HASBRO HERO!
CLICK HERE FOR ARTICLE ON THE BREAKERS COACH
(ARTICLE IS IN ADOBE ACROBAT FORMAT, SCROLL TO PAGE 17)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prep star gets a head start at PC

Jon Kale, a 6-foot-8 forward at St. Andrew's School who has signed on to play for the Friars, starting next season, feels right at home with his future teammates.   <click here for more of the article>

 

SORRENTINE NAB'S NORTHEAST-10 FRESHMEN HONORS
                             
COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's College first-year , James Sorrentine (Pawtucket, R.I./Saint Raphael Academy) was named Northeast-10 Conference Freshmen of the Week on Monday after leading the men's basketball teams, to impressive home victories.

Sorrentine garnered his third NE-10 Freshman of the Week award this season after tallying a game-high 25 points, including seven 3-pointers, in Saturday's 86-84, double-overtime victory versus Le Moyne College. Sorrentine played all 50 minutes in the contest, and assisted on the game-winning basket with 0.5 seconds left. He leads all Division II freshmen (and is eighth nationally) with a league-leading 3.7 3-pointers per game.

 

 

At Vermont schools, brothers are keepers

Last Saturday, University of Vermont senior point guard T.J. Sorrentine scored 25 points -- including five 3-pointers -- to help the America East co-leaders defeat Maine, 67-66, in Burlington. Just across the Winooski River in Colchester, his brother James was doing his thing for St. Michael's as the freshman sank eight 3-point shots and scored 30 points as the Purple Knights held off Franklin Pierce, 80-73.

Because UVM's game started at noon, T.J. was able to be in the stands at St. Michael's for its 3 p.m. game to root for his brother.

"It's great to have him up here and at a great program like St. Michael's," said T.J., who is averaging 18.1 points and 4.7 assists for UVM. "It may be better for him to be close by since he is in his first year of college. Our parents love it and could not be happier with us being here. So many times we play on the same weekend they can catch both games in one trip."

The brothers were coached at Saint Raphael Academy in Pawtucket, R.I., by their father, Tom. James, who was named Northeast-10 Rookie of the Week for the second time yesterday, was one trey shy of the St. Michael's record for a game and is second in the conference in 3-pointers per game at 3.4. T.J. leads the conference with 40 3-pointers.

"It was great to have my brother at the game watching and cheering me on," said James. "He's the player I try to mold my game after, both offensively and defensively."

St. Michael's coach Tim O'Shea said the younger Sorrentine has adapted to the college game better than most freshmen.

"He's a typical coach's son, just a real gym rat," said O'Shea. "He loves to work on his game and loves to practice, and that carries over into games."

UVM, meanwhile, is riding a six-game winning streak after beating Dartmouth, 78-68. T.J. leads America East and ranks 10th nationally at 3.6 3-pointers per game. He had made five or more 3-point field goals in his previous four games before last night, when he went 2 for 7.

"The one thing T.J. brings to the table," said UVM coach Tom Brennan, "is his tremendous hunger, as he wants to win so bad. He's our unquestioned leader and our hardest worker."

And a great role model for his brother.

 

 

 

 


South Kingstown's Matt Murphy, left, and Hendricken's David Wilson vie for a rebound last night.   Journal / Glenn Osmundson

 


 

RI Breaker "Poster Child " D.J. Carcieri, Hendricken goes after a loose ball
during a Division I game Tuesday. The Hawks won, 75-40.

 

 

 

Cincinnati's Eric Hicks shoots over Longwood's Lamar Barrett during a Las Vegas Holiday Classic game Thursday, Dec. 30, 2004, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

 

 

Men's Basketball Falls 88-56 At Old Dominion

December 20, 2004 

NORFOLK,  Va. – Longwood University dropped an 88-56 men’s basketball decision at Old Dominion University Monday night in Norfolk.  The Monarchs (10-1) had four players in double-figure scoring, led by Isaiah Hunter with 17 points, while the Lancers (1-12) were led by freshman Lamar Barrett/Providence, R.I. (St. Andrews) with 17 points.  Longwood will play again Thursday, Dec. 23, at Northern Iowa beginning at 8:05 p.m. in its opening game of the Las Vegas Holiday Classic

 

 

SORRENTINE WINS NE-10 WEEKLY AWARD
COLCHESTER, Vt. - James Sorrentine of Saint Michael's College garnered  the weekly Freshman of the Week award from the Northeast-10 Conference, it was announced on Monday.

In men's basketball, James Sorrentine (Pawtucket, R.I./Saint Raphael Academy) received NE-10 Freshman of the Week accolades. The shooting guard averaged 17.5 points, 4.5 assists, two steals and just one turnover per game in a pair of league contests. At Pace University on Saturday, he set a program record with 15 3-point attempts (making six), while scoring a game-high and season-high 23 points, along with four rebounds and five assists. He added 12 points (4-of-9 on 3-pointers) versus Saint Anselm College on Wednesday.

 

 

 
Men's College Basketball: Vermont 90, Marist 70 ** Box Score
BURLINGTON, Vt. - -T.J. Sorrentine (Pawtucket, R.I.) scored 31 points to lead four players in double figures as Vermont rolled past Marist, 90-70, in men's college basketball at a sold-out Patrick Gym Friday night.  The win, in the home opener, was the first of the season for the Catamounts (1-1) who lost a hard-fought battle at then-#1 Kansas a week ago.  “Brennan  praised his point guard who scored over 30 points for the sixth time in his career, and the first time since he scored 32 in a win at New Hampshire on February 22, 2002.  “What T.J. does best is keeping people on their heels by pushing the ball and he did a great job of that tonight. Almost no one at this level can stop his penetration, so I’ve been asking him to push the ball and get into the lane more this year.”
 

Fall Fest 2 in the Books
 

With the buzz in the air being the Red Sox, Patriots and yes the Jets, 54 teams descended on the Community College of RI this weekend to battle for 7 championships.  Great basketball was witnessed at all levels.  The following teams took away Team Trophies and T-Shirts:

 
Open:     Baystatemagic, WBA, RIBreakers  - Tie
17's:        BABC  over RI Breakers
16's:        Hartford City Stars over RI Breakers
15's:        Jersery Hot Shots over BABC
14's:        RI Bubba Ball over Greater Fall River Youth Basketball
13's:        RI Breakers over Hoop Specialists
12's:        Hartford City Stars over Hoop Specialists
 

2005 RI Breaker Dates as Follows:

 
March 19-21    George Tedino Memorial Tournament
April  TBA        "BREAKOUT"  Tournament
May 7-9            Commotion by-the Ocean Tournament
June 3-5           Breaker Challenge
 

www.ribreakers.com    860-928-1604  Dave Vitale
 

 

 

Former Breaker Joins RIC Staff
JONATHAN GIBBS - ASSISTANT COACH

MEN'S BASKETBALL OFFICE
Office Location:
RIC Recreation Center
Office Phone: (401) 456-8075
Office Fax: (401) 456-8514
Office E-mail:  jgibbs@ric.edu

Jonathan Gibbs enters his first season as an assistant men’s basketball coach at Rhode Island College. He assists head coach Jack Perri with all phases of the RIC men’s basketball program including recruiting, scouting, administering practices and game coaching.
            
Gibbs has previously served as the associate head coach of the 11th and 12th grade boys’ coastal team for the Massachusetts Bay State Games. He also has served as an assistant boys’ junior varsity coach at Ithaca High School.
            He has worked extensively at various summer basketball camps including the Jim Baron Basketball Camp at the University of Rhode Island, the Ocean State Basketball Camp at the Community College of Rhode Island and at the Tim Welch Basketball Camp at Providence College.
            A native of Cumberland, Rhode Island, Gibbs starred on the hardwood for two seasons at Cumberland High School from 1996-98, earning starting honors as a sophomore. He attended Bishop Feehan High School in Attleboro during his junior and senior seasons from 1998-00. He was part of the Bishop Feehan’s squad that went 21-5 and made it to the Massachusetts Div. II State Championship game as a junior in 1998-99. 
            After high school, Gibbs went on to play two seasons of basketball at Ithaca College from 2000-02. He earned a bachelor's degree in health and physical education from Ithaca in 2004.
            He is single and resides in Cumberland.

 

 

RHODE ISLAND BREAKERS
'04 WRAPUP TOURNAMENT

It’s A Wrap……..

 

Most kids use a weekend in August as one of their last chances to goof around before school starts but around 300 kids from 7 states and Canada “Wrapped Up” their AAU season in Providence this weekend. 

 

New Hampshire Knicks, Ct. Clippers, Tim Thomas Playaz, New Haven Heat, RI Hawks, NJ Trailblazers, Greater Boston Lions, Montreal Ballers, Merrimack NH HS, Philly Heat, Monmouth Power NJ, Manhasset (NY) All-Stars, Staten Island Gym Rats, Mass Hoop Jaguars, Middletown (CT) Bulldogs, Sun Youth (Montreal), Capital District Raptors, and RI Breakers played through the rain, heat and humidity in a great weekend of basketball.  Championship teams received a team trophy, team MVP, & T-Shirts for players and coaches

 

One sad note, The NJ Knighthawks were involved in a minor accident in NY that resulted in the team having to turn back to NJ.  Everyone was OK and we wish them well.

 

 

04’ Wrap-Up Tournament Champions:

 

 11's  RI Breakers 66, Tim Thomas Playaz 41

                        MVP: Trevor Vasey -  RI Breakers

 

12's  RI Breakers 78, New Haven Heat 74

                        MVP: J.Joyner - New Haven Heat

 

15/16's Capital District Raptors  3-0 pool play… No Championship game

                        MVP: Cody Daigle

 

17's  RI Breakers 76    Montreal Ballers 45

                        MVP: DJ Carcieri - RI Breakers

 

 
Breaker 15's Lose Game 2;
Win Game 3 In Pool Play
2-1 Good Enough to finish 1st in Pool
 Advance To National Tournament

Leading most of the way against the home town team wasn't good enough as the Breakers were not able to withstand the loss of four players to fouls as the host Annesse Sports Tennessee defeated the Breakers 56-54 in game two of pool play.

Facing a must win situation the Breakers responded with a solid team effort with great help from the bench to overcome a very strong Team Texas for a 59-56 victory.

The Breakers enter the National Tournament on Wednesday, July 7th, with a 10:00AM game vs. the Spartanburg Bucks from South Carolina 

 

Breaker Teams Headed To The Nationals

 
At the end of the AAU season some teams have the chance to see how they compare to the rest of the country at the AAU national championships.  This season is quickly coming to an end and 4 Rhode Island Breaker teams will be heading the the nationals to put themselves to the test.  Darren DaLuz's 12 year old squad heads to Virginia Beach on July 15 to play the best 12 year olds in the country.  This is the first 12 year old Breakers team to head to the nationals. Mike Stephens 14 year old team will be heading to the World Wide of Sports in Disney World on July 31 to compete.  On the 4th of July, John Smith's 15 year old team starts to play in Clarksville, Tennessee.  With teams from Texas, Wisconsin and Tennessee in thier pool, their work will be cut out for them.  The final team heading to the nationals will be Coach Dave Vitale's 17 year olds.  The team will be heading to Orlando on July 25 from Las Vegas after competing in Nike's Main Event Tournament.  Rick Nanni's 13 year old squad will be traveling north of the border to play its final tournament in Canada at the Royal Mountie tournament in Montreal.

 

 

 

Rhode Island's Sanders scores 29 in leading team to win over Skillz
The first day of pool play in the 2004 AAU Boys 15-under National Championship Tournament saw a number of outstanding individual performances, games that came down to the wire, and also a few blowouts.

Here are some of Sunday's highlights.

In Pool P, the Rhode Island Breakers got a 29-point outburst from Rakin Sanders, as the Breakers outlasted the Fox Valley Skillz 54-50.

Fox Valley, which was held to 22 second-half points, was led by Keaton Nankivil with 13 points.

 

Breakers Shine As Hartford City Stars Fade

John Smith’s RI Breaker 15-year-old team had one mission in mind when they agreed to play in the Hartford City Star Classic this past weekend at Buckley High School in Hartford, and that was to avenge a loss they sustained against the Stars in Providence at the 'BREAKOUT' Tournament in April.  Mission accomplished. 

The Breakers breezed through their first two games in pool play but had a lofty opponent to get through just to get out of pool play, the Massachusetts Gold Boston Blazers.  The Blazers came out of the gate early posting a 4-0 lead but the Breakers went on a 5-0 run and never looked back on route to a 58-51 victory.

The Middletown Bulldogs were the next hurdle for the Breakers and the Bulldogs bark was bigger than its bite.  Middletown Connecticut, home to former great University of Connecticut All-American Corny Thompson, was outplayed in a lopsided 51-21 victory.

The championship game saw the Stars break out to a 17-4 early lead only to see the Breakers answer with a 36-7 run to end the half with a comfortable 40-24 lead.  To Hartford’s credit, they chipped away to cut the lead, and had it not been for a Joey Accaoui jumper the Breakers might not have held on to the thrilling 63-61 finish.

"The kids really came together this weekend.  The return of Rakim Sanders (3 thunderous dunks over the weekend) seemed to energize the rest of the team.  We shared the ball and played exhausting defense,"  Smith said.

 The Breakers will be hosting a Pre-National Tournament on June 26-27 in Providence for age groups 15-17.  Few spots remain.  Go to www.ribreakers.com or email dv@myeastern.com for more information.

 

 

 

17:U Age Division

The Rhode Island Breakers lived up to their nickname at the 2004 GymRat CHALLENGE, 'breaking' the title aspirations of several formidable foes with a series of second-half comebacks to secure the 17-and-under division title. Rhode Island likely wouldn't have escaped its Round of 16 contest against the NYC Rise Panthers without the stellar play of tourney MVG (Most Valuable GymRat) Joe Mazzula. The 6-foot-1 lefty point guard sliced through the Panthers for a game-high 18 points, including 10 over the final three minutes. Shawn Crawford provided the Panthers a 51-49 lead on a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left and when Anthony Clarke stole the ball with 12 seconds left, Rhode Island's tournament appeared to be over. But Clarke missed on a lay-up and the Breakers outletted the ball to Jimmy Baron, who drained a 3-pointer with one second left to propel Rhode Island to a thrilling come-from-behind triumph. In the semifinals, the Breakers trailed the powerful New York City Jaguars by 14 midway through the second half before Mazzula and Baron worked their magic again. Baron scored 17 of his game-high 20 points after intermission -- including completing several gorgeous set-ups from Mazzula. Baron drained five 3-pointers in the second half, while Mazzula contributed 11 of his 15 points after intermission as the Breakers rallied for a 66-63 victory. T.J. Stokes scored 18 points and Richard Thomas added 16 points for the Jaguars.

Mazzula suffered a leg injury in the semifinal victory and it limited his unstoppable drives to the basket against the Stamford Express. Still, Mazzula maintained his effectiveness by hitting timely jumpers and setting up teammates like Baron, Dave Wilson and Zerimar Ramirez to spoil Stamford's bid for the tournament title. Job Casimir, Stamford's dynamic 5-11 point guard, put together a spectacular three-point blitz that fell just short. Mazzula, who won't celebrate his 16th birthday until June 30, put the Express away with two foul shots with three seconds left and later received a victory ride from his teammates after the announcement he had earned MVP honors.

"It was difficult playing hurt, but it was just a matter of keeping my mind focused on the task at hand. I didn't want to let my teammates down," said Mazzula, an honors student at Bishop Hendricken. "This was such a great team effort," Rhode Island head coach Dave Vitale said. "Joe is very deserving of MVP honors and Jimmy Baron hit a lot of big shots. We were behind in some games and fought back with defense and smart team play."

17:U GymRat CHALLENGE-MVG-Most Valuable GymRat

Joe Mazzula (6-foot-1 Point Guard, Rhode Island Breakers): The talented lefty slasher simply couldn't be stopped on his numerous junkets to the basket. Mazzula spearheaded a serious of comebacks in the championship round to guide the Breakers to the tournament title. The 15-year old point guard, who is also the New England region 400-meter sprint champion in track and field, displayed exceptional decision-making skills, a silky-smooth jump shot and an uncanny knack at making crucial defensive plays by attacking the passing lanes or simply shutting down anyone he guarded. Mazzula, who turns 16 on June 30, played on guts alone in the championship game after suffering a leg injury at the end of a semifinal victory over the NYC Jaguars. Mazzula will be a junior in September, meaning he still has two years left to expand on an already-advanced game.

17:U All-GymRat CHALLENGE Team

Jimmy Baron (6-3 G, Rhode Island Breakers): The Worcester Academy bound CLUTCH sharpshooter hit BIG shots when they counted for the 17:U champs, including a game winning three in the round of 16. Arguably, the best range in the event, but make no mistake, there are several dimensions to Baron's game, including an adept ability to put the ROCK in the right place. High basketball IQ meets big basketball ability.

Honorable Mention Selections
Dave Wilson (6-5 F, Rhode Island Breakers)
Michael Gore (6-6 G/F, Rhode Island Breakers)
Zerimar Ramirez (6-6 C/F, Rhode Island Breakers)

 

16:U All-GymRat CHALLENGE Team

Honorable Mention Selections
Kashef Montgomery (Rhode Island Breakers)
 

15:U All-GymRat CHALLENGE Team

Joey Accaoui (5-9 PG, Rhode Island Breakers): Exceptional shooter with great range to go along with solid fundamental skills. Plays point and shooting guard. Sees the floor extremely well and finds teammates at right time. A pesky defender

 

 

Vitale switches allegiances
Former Putnam boys basketball coach takes over at Marianapolis.

Special to the Norwich Bulletin

There were some epic battles between the Putnam and Marianapolis boys basketball teams when the two both belonged to the Quinebaug Valley Conference and, briefly, the Eastern Connecticut Conference.

There were also some epic squabbles between the Putnam and Marianapolis coaching staffs.

Dave Vitale was more than familiar with them, in fact, he was in the middle of them.

Vitale served as Tony Falzarano's assistant coach with the Putnam Clippers for 25 years but left the high school sidelines two years ago.

Vitale re-surfaced this week as he has been named the head coach of the school he used to love to beat - Marianapolis.

"I told them I wasn't interested in any other job in the States of Connecticut or Rhode Island; this is really the only job that piqued my curiosity," Vitale said.

"The school and it's administration see the same things that I do. They want to put on a quality program with quality kids who will represent the school well and they want to win."

It's the first head coach's position at this level for Vitale, who continued to coach on the AAU level after he resigned as a Putnam assistant. His reputation, however, precedes him and Marianapolis Athletic Director Eric Gustavson was more than pleasantly surprised to hear that Vitale was as interested in the Thompson school as they were in him.

"After Chuck (Bourgeois) stepped down, I had kidded around with him about him taking over the program but I never thought he would do it especially given the history of the rivalry," Gustavson said.

"It's certainly a great land for the school and we hope he brings us in a different direction and attracts a lot of scholar-athletes to the program," the Marianapolis AD added.

And in this case, reputation can go a long way.

"He has the name recognition, is a proven coach and a proven winner. We don't want to take kids from one certain program but rather get kids from Worcester, Norwich and other areas -- and he's a big drawing card," Gustavson explained.

The program had been under the guidance of a former Vitale charge, Fred Touchette, but the Knights had not been as competitive as they had hoped in their first two years in the Southeastern New England Prep School League.

"The program has had a little downside over the last couple of years, but I think with everything in place and everyone working toward the same goals," Vitale said. "I think we can right the ship."

The new coach will have an upside to deal with immediately as the Thompson school now has a waiting list for entrants and can afford to be a little more selective when it comes to who will be admitted.

Vitale also loves the idea that he doesn't have to deal with rules imposed by the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference.

"It's a lot different than public school because your hands are tied in the public schools. Being able to work kids out where the CIAC doesn't allow you to meet with your players in the offseason legally and prep school is more lenient on that issue," Vitale explained.

"They encourage you to put a good product on the field or court, make those kids available, and a student-athlete should want to take advantage of that opportunity to further his education."

Gustavson re-emphasized something he said when Marianapolis left the ECC for the Prep School ranks. The administration of the school doesn't want a basketball factory, but does want a program they can take pride in which will attract student athletes. And that is what Vitale is expected to do.

The new head coach has also been given the authority to choose his coaching staff and that may also have a decidedly Putnam flavor.

 

 

Cross...Providence Bound !
 
Providence College Dean of Enrollment, Christopher P. Lydon has announced that Raymond Christopher Cross Jr. is the recipient of a Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship.  Ray, from St. Andrew's School in Barrington RI will become part of a long and distinguished tradition of students who have been recognized for both scholastic and personal excellence.  While at St. Andrew's, Ray has excelled in the classroom and on the basketball court.  Notably awarded: National Honor Roll 11th, 12th, High Academic Honors 9th-12th, National Society of High School Scholars 11th, 12th, Chapin List ( denotes exemplary citizen ) 11th, 12th, Varsity Basketball 10th -12th, Team Captain 12th, Most Improved Player 11th, Coaches Award 12th, RI Breakers AAU 9th-12th.
 
" The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship program is a vital part of Providence College's effort to promote diversity and cultural awareness in our community.  It is our hope that by sharing the special gifts of your heritage and strengthening the spirit of multiculturalism on campus, you will continue the tradition of Dr. King Scholars that has so greatly enhanced the intellectual and social dimensions of the college," explained Lydon.
 
Ray plans to be a walk-on for the Big East Friars.  He is the son of Pat and Ray Cross Sr. of Cumberland RI.

 

 

Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Gillian Announces 2004 Recruits

 
Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Gillian

FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University men's basketball head coach Mike Gillian has announced that four high school seniors have signed a National Letter of Intent to compete for the institution's men's basketball program.  The Lancers are required to meet Division I scheduling requirements during 2004-05 as the program will be a countable Division I opponent, and will be included in the all-important Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) during the second year of its four-year transition period toward Division I reclassification and official certification in September 2007.

Lamar Barrett, a 6-5, 185-pound forward from St. Andrew's School (Rhode Island Breakers)  in Barrington, R.I., Jason Davis, a 6-3, 185-pound guard-forward from Windsor High School in Windsor, Conn., Brandon Giles, a 5-10, 145-pound guard from Magruder High School in Rockville, Md., and Dana Smith, a 6-4, 190-pound guard from C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge, will each join the Longwood program this fall.

"BARRETT averaged 11.3 points and 8.9 rebounds this year while leading St. Andrew's to a record of 25-7 and the New England Final Four.  He was a McDonald's All-American nominee while earning honorable mention All-America from Street & Smith's magazine, All-New England, and All-State honors in Rhode Island.  Barrett posted 10.3 points and 7.4 rebounds as a junior and finished his prep career with 1,102 points and 918 rebounds.  St. Andrew's School has retired his jersey.

"Lamar is a very good all-around player," explained Gillian.  "He is the type of multi-dimensional player that we want to have in the program and we are expecting him to make an immediate contribution. Lamar can defend any of the positions on the court, is a very good rebounder at both ends, and a crafty scorer.  He scored over 1000 points in high school playing against some of the best competition in the country."

Longwood will open 2004-05 with its participation in a tournament hosted by Ivy League member Columbia University in New York City on November 19-20, 2004.  The Lancers will be joining the host Lions (10-17) in the event along with Morehead State University (16-13) and Mount St. Mary's College (10-19).

 

 

 

PURPLE KNIGHT MEN INK SORRENTINE TO NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT
 Pawtucket's James Sorrentine signs with Saint Michael's

COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's College men's basketball coach Tom O'Shea has announced that James Sorrentine, a Pawtucket, R.I. native has signed  a NCAA national letters of intent and will play for the Division II Purple Knights as freshmen this fall.

"Sorrentine, a 5-10 point guard, was also a 1,000-point scorer at Saint Raphael Academy. He led Saint Raphael to the Rhode Island Division I-AA semifinals, scoring 29 points in a quarterfinal win and 18 in the semifinal loss to the eventual state champion. Sorrentine averaged a team-leading 18.5 points per contest last season, and also contributed 4.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. He led the Saints by connecting on 42 percent (87-for-208) of his three-point attempts.

"James is a dedicated worker, and he doesn't miss any workouts," said Tom Sorrentine, James' father and the boy's basketball coach at Saint Raphael. "Offensively James is pretty sound, and he's a terrific foul shooter. He really loves the Saint Michael's coaching staff, as those guys will be his father for four years."

"James is a very good three-point shooter who had an excellent career playing for his father at Saint Raphael," said O'Shea. "We look for James to play both point guard and shooting guard for us."

 

 

Breakers BREAKOUT Big
Bag Four Crowns

RI Breakers capture crowns in
11’s, 12’s, 15’s, and 17’s

Middlesex Magic 16’s, Team Roc NYC 14’s,
Boston Blazers  13’s round out field


80 teams from 8 states jammed into the Community College of RI, Providence Country Day, and the Wheeler School for 3 days of great basketball.  With Sunday being Easter, competition started Thursday evening with 16 games.  In the 17 year old division tough competition was packed into 3 pools.  The Pool A favorite Doc Nicelli’s Student Athletes Broncos had all it could handle with an overtime victory over the Ct. Knights, a hard fought victory over the Ct. Northstars North and a thriller over the Boston Blazers.  In Pool B Shaq attack withstood 2 battles from the Baystatemagic and CT Northstars South and overpowered the Atlantic Swish.  In Pool C, the RI Breakers handled the South Shore Patriots and the Boston Gators and had to come from behind to defeat the NH Playaz in the last 4 minutes.  Shaq Attack led from start to finish over the Bronco’s and surprised the NYC team with a 13 point victory.  In the championship, the Breakers dug in on defense in the second half and slipped by the rival Shaq, with a hard fought 56-49 victory.  Jim Baron led the way with 20 while Joe Mazzula added 16.  Teams were awarded championship and MVP trophies as well as embroidered knap sacks for all players on the winning team.
 

17’s – RI Breakers 56, Shaq Attack 49

 16’s - Middlesex Magic 64, RI Breakers 54

15’s - RI Breakers 56, CT. Nike Elite 42

14’s - Team ROC NYC 54, RI Breakers 27

13’s – Boston Blazers Byron 45, Bay State Magic 39

12’s – RI Breakers 62, Bay State Warriors

11’s – RI Breakers 67- Baystatemagic 60

 

 

 

Rhode Island McDonald's All-American Nominees
 

Jim Baron, Hendricken

Connor Evans, Cranston East

Derrick Knighton, Hope

Chris Young, Hope

Kofo Edmonds, Hope

Mike McParland, La Salle

Darrell Taylor, Mt. Pleasent

Anthony Fiocco, North Providence

Lamar Barrett,  St Andrew's

Ray Cross, St Andrew's

Nick Mattone, St Andrew's

James Sorrentine, St Ray's

Jeff Xavier, St Ray's

 

 

 

R.I. Breakers capture 14-and-under title at Milt Kelley tourney

 

DAVID WOLCOTT , Gazette Staff Writer 03/26/2004

TAUNTON -- The Rhode Island Breakers took the 14-and-under division at the Milt Kelley Memorial Basketball Tourney last night with a 56-50 win over the Boston Squires.

R.I. Breakers 56, Boston Squires 50 (14-and-under championship game)

Richard King scored nine points for the winners, tossing in nine points last night to help his team to the win. Jerrell Gomes led the winners with 12 points while Kevin Barr scored 20 points for the Boston Squires in the loss.

King was named MVP for the 14-and-under bracket.

 

 

The 12 year old Breakers captured their first title of the year in the Boston Saintz BeanTown Massacre.  A great team effort helped the Breakers to a 4-0 weekend.  Saturday the team beat the Bay State Jaguars handily and then defeated a very good Rochester (NY) Eastside team 53-42.  Joe Sharkey lead the way offensively against Rochester and Nick Manning played great defense to help the team to victory.  Sunday the Breakers beat M.A.D. from Dochester Ma, by 8 and then had a rematch with Rochester.  The rematch resulted in a 8 point victory lead by Curtis Lucas and Malcolm Moniz.  The team heads to Patterson NJ this upcoming weekend to play in the Tim Thomas Playaz tournament to paly the likes of the NY Gauchos, the Playaz and Sam Rhines(Philadelphia).
 

 

 

City Stars, Breakers Dominate Play

4th Annual Tedino Memorial in the books

44 teams from 9 states jammed into the Community College of Rhode Island's Knight Campus for the 4th Annual George Tedino Memorial Boys Basketball Tournament.  With the tournaments focus on the memory of the former Breaker Coach, teams competed like they were in mid season form. 

The Hartford City Stars headed back to the Nutmeg's State capitol city with two championships.  A hard fought 1 point victory of the Breakers in the 12 year old division.  In the 15 year old division the City Stars survived a battle from the RI Breakers in semi final action with a one point overtime thriller  and a  15 point victory over a powerful Brockton Blackhawks team to take the crown.  These 3 teams can surely be considered 3 of the premiere teams in New England and the Northeast.  Former Providence College star Corey Wright's 13 year old Young Bucks took home the gold and put Rhode Island and New England teams on notice that they are ready to go.  The Breakers were champs in the 14, 16, and 17's where Andy Matteson's 16's came from 20 down in the championship to squeak out a victory.  A new team out of Hartford, the Hartford Knights, gave Mike Stephen's RI State Champs all they could handle before they pulled away late to capture the championship.  The 17's clicked on all cylinders to go undefeated and beat Pete Waters' WBA Hawks in championship play.

Thanks to all who participated and we look forward to competing again. 

 

 

Life Lesson

It's been a life-changing decision, one that could catapult Andrew Lyell into the national college basketball consciousness.

But that doesn't mean it was any easier for the former Portsmouth High standout to leave home last fall and enroll at Northfield (Mass.) Mount Hermon School in pursuit of his personal hoops dream.

"I'm getting used to it. Every day that goes by, it's getting better and better. And now that it's basketball season it makes it a lot easier," Lyell said on a recent trip to town.

He continued, "It was like the week before the end of summer when the decision was made. I wasn't ready to leave. It really took me by surprise. I was really upset. I wanted to be here this year."

Lyell left Portsmouth High and friends behind not on his volition...

for the rest of this story, click HERE

 

 

 

Johnson & Wales Romps; Russell shatters scoring margin

    Senior Rohan Russell scored a career-high 43 points and became Johnson & Wales's all-time leading scorer as the Wildcats defeated Albertus Magnus, 107-76.  Russell has 1,179 career points in only two seasons passing the previous mark of 1,169 set in four years by Anthony Williams from 1995-1999.

 

Nichols' 17 not enough; Providence tops Syracuse 74-61

 

Providence's Marcus Douthit, left, fouls Syracuse's Demetris Nichols (4) during the second half Saturday, Feb. 7, 2004, in Providence, R.I. Providence won 74-61. (AP Photo/Stew Milne)

 

 

 


Josh Odugbela '99, pictured with his parents, as his jersey is retired. Josh had an impressive record when he was a student at St. Andrew's, and Coach Hart wanted to honor him in this way. Josh is currently an intern faculty member at St. Andrew's, teaching media production, and is a dorm parent and basketball coach.

 

 

 

 

Gaffney, Lyell lead Mount Hermon over MCI

Basketball - Boys Varsity vs. National Prep Invtl

 

NMH (16-4) 41 41 (12) 94 (OT) MCI 36 46 (10) 92 What a great game! Despite losing senior captain and point guard Kashif Payne to an ankle injury half way through the first half, NMH defeated powerhouse Maine Central Institute (MCI) in overtime by the score of 94-92. NMH jumped off to a quick 15-7 lead against the smaller but very quick and talented MCI team as they controlled the pace of the game in the early going.  A Tony Gaffney half court shot at the buzzer gave NMH a 41-36 lead at halftime. Gaffney was awesome in the first half as he poured in 17 first half points including 5 dunks and the half court buzzer-beater. The second half was the Andrew Lyell show as the junior guard came off the bench to fill in for the injured Kashif Payne and managed to toss in 15 second half points including 4 three point shots. NMH upped their lead after half to 13 (54-41) with 15 minutes to go in the game but MCI came charging back to cut the lead to 60-59 with 9 minutes left in the contest. Andrew Lyell then hit 3 three pointers in a 2 minute span to give NMH a 69-64 lead with 7:00 left on the clock but the fun was just beginning. MCI never let up as they stormed back to take a 72-71 lead with 4 minutes left in the game. This was their first lead since the opening minute and from this point on there would be 5 lead changes and 3 tie scores in the final 4 minutes of regulation as the teams matched each other basket for basket. NMH went on an 8-2 run to go up by 5 only to see MCI make a run of their own to take a 80-79 lead over the Hoggers with 1:00 left in the game. Boris Meno's huge three point play with :38 left gave NMH the 82-80 lead but MCI managed to knot the score at 82 as they hit a basket with half a second left in regulation and the game went to overtime. NMH scored the first 7 points of the extra session as they took a 89-82 lead with 3:30 left in the overtime period. Dorien Brown hit three foul shots down the stretch to give NMH a 92-89 lead with :39 left on the clock however MCI never quit as they came back once again and tied the score on a long three pointer with 16 seconds left in overtime. NMH brought the ball down court and got it to Dorien Brown down low who missed a tough shot but Boris Meno came up big once again as he grabbed the offensive rebound and put it back in with 2 seconds remaining in the game sealing the exciting win for NMH. Highlights: Dorien Brown: 20 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 blocks Tony Gaffney: 19 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals Colin McIntosh: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists Andrew Lyell: 17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists Boris Meno: 16 points, 14 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks Alex Popp: 6 rebounds

 

 

Nichols scores 12 in 1st start for Syracuse

Freshman Demetris Nichols made his first start of the season and had a career game, scoring a personal-best 12 points and grabbing a career-high eight rebounds in 27 minutes of action.

Coach Boeheim Quotes
On the game:

“In the first half offensively and defensively we were very good. We moved the ball around and got people involved. Demetris (Nichols) stepped up with a couple of big shots.

On Demetris Nichol’s Performance:
“He (Nichols) did a nice job. He got squared up and had a couple of good transitions and hit that big three. And he had a nice game defensively. Overall, he had a real good night.

“We wanted to see how we could go with the bigger lineup. We’re a little bigger with Demetris (Nichols) and he’s really our second best three-point shooter.”

 

 

 

National Prep Basketball Poll - Week 5

By Jamie DeMoney and Jeremy Plowman

 

      The National Prep Basketball Poll is compiled by national high school sports experts Jamie DeMoney and Jeremy Plowman and a panel of sportswriters. The national Top 25 and regional Top 10's follow with won-loss records:

 

Northeast

1. New York, Rice, 6-0

2. Mount Vernon, N.Y., 6-1

3. Philadelphia, Cardinal Dougherty, 4-1

4. Bronx, N.Y., St. Raymond, 5-1

5. Jersey City, N.J., St. Anthony, 3-0

6. West Orange, N.J., Seton Hall Prep, 3-0

7. Brooklyn, N.Y., Lincoln, 8-3

8. Barrington, R.I., St. Andrews, 10-0

9. Stamford, Conn, Trinity Catholic, 2-0

10. Lawrence, Mass., Catholic Central, 4-0

 

The Christmas season is just beginning for many of the schools in Richmond area; however; Huguenot High School Head Coach John Siers received an early Christmas present this fall when Emery Outland arrived at the Richmond school. Outland, a 5’10 senior, came to Huguenot via The St. Andrew’s School in Rhode Island.

 

 


Putnam coach Tony Falzarano reacts during first-quarter play at the Clipper Classic on Tuesday night at Putnam High School. The Clippers defeated Ellis Tech 72-33 to give Falzarano his 500th career victory. He is just the eighth boys' basketball coach in state history to reach the milestone.

 

Apparently, Jeff Xavier enjoys playing in holiday tournaments in the Bay State.

On Saturday night in the Chelsea Holiday Tournament, the St. Raphael Academy senior poured in a tourney-record 51 points to lead the Saints to a thrilling, 88-83 overtime win over Lexington High, the No.-2 rated team in Boston. A year earlier, Xavier had popped in 49 in a 77-75 triumph over Cambridge Rindge & Latin, then 32 more in a loss to J.E. Burke High in the Cohasset Holiday Tournament. But he topped himself on Saturday. Xavier hit nine three-pointers along with eight rebounds and eight assists, and his driving layup in the final seconds sent the game into overtime, where the Saints outscored Lexington, 14-9. James Sorrentine added 24 points for SRA and Seth Desautel contributed 10. Lexington's 6-foot-8 center Mark McDonald dumped in 32 points in a losing effort.

 

3 Local Players Prepare For Action With Mount Hermon Prep

Coach Batty with Doug Wojcik from Michigan State and Andrew Lyle

Tony Gaffney
6'7''.....195.....'04
Guard/ Forward.....Berkeley, MA


Tony comes to NMH from Somerset High School where he had a story book year. As a junior his team had a 2-20 record. His senior year, he led Somerset HS  to 21-4 record and a semifinal loss in the state Div II tournament. Tony nearly averaged a quadruple double. He averaged 23 points, 12 rebounds, 11 blocks and 7 assists per contest. Tony was named the Eastern Athletic Conference MVP, and was named to the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald's All-Scholastic teams. Bostonpreps.com named Tony the Massachusetts Player of the year. Tony was also given the Dave Cowens Award which recognizes the Southeastern Mass student-athlete of the year. Tony leaves Somerset HS in the very capable hands of his younger brother, Bud. During his Post Graduate year, Tony will be studying English, Environmental Studies, Astronomy, Violence and Nonviolence and Calculus. Tony has signed a national letter of intent to play his college basketball at BOSTON UNIVERSITY.
 
Andrew Lyell
6'5''.....190.....'05
Guard.....Portsmouth, RI


Andrew joins the NMH community from Portsmouth HS in Rhode Island. Last year, he averaged 22 points, 7 assists, 8 rebounds and 2 steals per game. He led his team to a 16-7 record and a loss in the state semi-finals. Andrew was named 1st team All-Division, Newport County Player of the Year and All-Tournament at the State championships. He is a member of Mike Stevens' Rhode Island Breakers AAU squad. This year, Andrew will be able to see time at both guard positions. We expect big contributions from Andrew for Bill Batty's club. Andrew was recently ranked the #1 junior in the state of Rhode Island. During his junior year, Andrew will be studying Religion in America at the Millennium, Environmental Studies, Multiculturalism in US History, Latin, American Literature and Precalculus. Andrew is getting early looks from the Big East and Atlantic 10 conferences.
 

Alex Thayer       
6'4"......205......'04                 
Guard......Seekonk, MA

Last year, Alex averaged 4.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2 assists a game for Bill Batty's squad. Two year ago, Alex played for St. Ray's in Providence and helped them win their 4th consecutive state title. Alex has a very high "basketball IQ" and is an athletic 2 guard. He has been a solid off guard/ small forward for Coach Batty's program. This past summer Alex helped Jason Elliot's Rhode Island Hawks AAU program surprise some bigger programs with some solid wins and a tournament win in West Virginia. Last year, he was ranked as one of the Top 20 juniors in the state by Bostonpreps.com. During his senior year , Alex will be studying Anthropology, Psychology, Ideology and Revolution, Literature and Composition, Economics and Precalculus. Alex is a solid student with over 1200 on his SAT's. Alex is interested in Babson, Bates and Connecticut College for his college career.

Mills, Mullen, Lehane get Stang started off on right foot
DARTMOUTH -- John Mills helped keep his team in the game with 12 first-half points, and Liam Mullen helped Bishop Stang pull away in the second half as the Spartans opened their 2003-04 boys basketball season with a 69-45 victory over visiting Norwood Saturday.
Mullen, less than 300 points shy of becoming the all-time leading boys scorer in school history, scored 12 of his game-high 19 points in the second half, as the Maroon & Silver turned a tight game into a rout.
"We played great," said Stang coach Joe Balestracci. "We put a lot of pressure on them defensively. I think we had them turn it over 12 times in the first half."  Mills was the second of three Spartans in double figures with 18 points in his first varsity starting assignment. The junior also dished the ball off effectively and played solid defense. Mike Lehane, the 6-foot-5 sophomore who missed most of last season with an ACL (knee) injury, returned to score 12 points while rebounding effectively at both ends of the court.

 

Foul-troubled Hilltoppers just hold off Attleboro
FALL RIVER
-- Holding off a late charge with its star player on the bench, Durfee edged visiting Attleboro, 50-47, last night in season-opening action for both teams.
Durfee was led by its usual big gun, Jamal Johnson, who finished with 21 points, only four of which came in the second half. He was the only Hilltopper to score in double figures and his performance included a couple of NBA-distance 3-pointers. His absence in the final minutes after fouling out had the Durfee fans on the edge of their seats.
Durfee, led by Johnson's exploits from the deep perimeter, started quickly and led by 12 points with 5:37 left in the first half. Attleboro's Dan Smith then came in off the bench and provided a spark with some solid work on the boards. Dunner then started to light it up from the outside and the Bombardiers were able to cut their deficit to seven points at the intermission.
BY BRAD SILVA  Special to the Journal

 

Yakavonis, Bradley, get Bowdoin off to 3-0 start.

FARMINGTON, Maine - The Bowdoin men's basketball team defeated Thomas in their season-opener on Friday at the Maine-Farmington Tournament, 114-64.

Bowdoin came out of the gate quickly and dominated defensively and in transition as point guard Kevin Bradley controlled the pace of play.  Mark Yakavonis added 5 points and 12 rebounds in 19 minutes of play.

 FARMINGTON, Maine - The Bowdoin men's basketball team,  captured the UMF Hight Memorial Tournament on Saturday by defeating the host Beavers 62-48. Bowdoin is 2-0 on the year. Rebounding was the name of the game for the Polar Bears, who had three players in double-digit boards. Mark Yakavonis (8 points, 14 rebounds), automatic from the Yakavonis also earned All-Tournament honors.

 

2002-03 SIGNINGS AND COMMITMENTS:

NEWARK, DE -- University of Delaware's men's basketball coach David Henderson has announced the signing of four student-athletes during the National Letter of Intent program's early signing period.

The Blue Hens have signed commitments from 6-8 forward Henry Olawoye, 6-7 forward Octavius Flowers, 6-7 forward Herb Courtney, and 6-9 forward Lebo Maepa.

Olawoye is a Woonsocket, RI native who enrolled two years ago at St. Mark's Prep School in Southbourough, MA, a suburb of Boston. Last season, he earned All-Independent School League honors at St. Mark's, averaging 14.8 and 9.3 rpg. He also earned all-tournament honors at the Boys Club of New York Holiday Classic. He is also a member of St. Mark's baseball squad.

 

T.J Sorrentine Player Profile

 

 

Stony Brook Bests Army, 69-44

Dec. 11, 2003
Box Score

WEST POINT, N.Y. - D.J. Munir scored 26 points, leading three Stony Brook players in double figures as the Seawolves snapped a three-game losing streak by defeating Army 69-44 Thursday night at West Point's Christl Arena.

Munir, who entered the game shooting just 27.1 percent from the field, connected on 11 of 18 shots from the floor, helping Stony Brook (2-3) to 45.6 percent shooting as the Seawolves dealt the Black Knights (3-5) their third successive loss.

D.J. Munir scores a game-high 26 points on 11-for-18 shooting.

 

Former "BREAKER" To Be Honored

  Dante Balestracci

Dante Balestracci
Player Profile
Class:
Senior

 
Hometown:
New Bedford, MA

 
High School:
New Bedford

 
Height / Weight:
6-2 / 235

 
Position:
LB

 
Of Note:
130th Captain of Harvard Football

Five Harvard Football Players Named To All-New England Team

CAMBRIDGE, MA - Senior linebacker Dante Balestracci (New Bedford, MA) highlights a group of five Harvard football players who were chosen to the 2003 New England Football Writers Division I-AA All-New England team, which was announced Monday.

For Balestracci, the honor marked the fourth consecutive year in which the Crimson linebacker was so recognized. Harvard's four other honorees were first-time All-New England selections.

Balestracci, who in November became the first player in history to be named to the All-Ivy League first team four times, was Harvard's leader in tackles (96), sacks (11), and tackles for losses (21) in 2003. He was a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selection and a finalist for the Buch Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in Division I-AA.
 

Harvard Football

 

 

Milos off to good start at Wingate University
http://www.wingate.edu/athletics/Mbsktb/BASKET.asp

15 Milos Mirkovic
Novi Sad, Yugoslavia
(St. Andrew's)

Center/Forward
6-8, 240
Freshman

Milos Mirkovic played two years of basketball at St. Andrew’s for Coach Mike Hart…A McDonald’s All-American team nominee, Mirkovic led St. Andrew’s to a 28-8 overall record in 2002-03…He averaged 10 points per game and nine rebounds per game as the team won the New England championship his senior season…The team finished in the top 25 nationally in 2002-03…Thanks to his efforts, St. Andrew’s compiled a 53-16 overall record over the last two seasons…Mirkovic was named a top 300 prospect by several recruiting services…

 

Stony Brook Falls To St. John's, 72-61

 2003

STONY BROOK, N.Y. (AP) - Grady Reynolds scored a career-high 26 points on 13-for-17 shooting from the field and St. John's defeated Stony Brook 72-61 on Saturday night for its first victory of the season.

Monarchs Fall To No. 9 North Carolina, 90-64

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Roy Williams was back, and No. 9 North Carolina might be, too. The storied program lost a combined 36 games the last two seasons, but the Tar Heels gave their new coach an impressive victory in his debut, beating Old Dominion 90-64 Saturday night.  ODU freshman Abdi Lidonde led the Monarchs with a career high 15 points in his college debut. He hit five of eight from 3 point range.

Box Score

 

RI Breaker's Fall League Crowns Champions

 The Annual Providence Recreation and Rhode Island Breakers fall league came to a wrap on Saturday November 15 with 2 exciting games.  In the middle school league, League MVP Mike Holland and Playoff MVP Nick Maseo pulled the Miami team to the victory over upset minded St John's, led by all league selections Angel Pucci and Corey Wright.  Maseo took the game over in the second half and helped bring the title to the first place team throughout the season.

 

In the high school championships, the Bulls, lead by Manhatten-bound Jeff Xavier and all league selection 8th grader Jerrel Gomes, put up 53 points in the first half and hung on to win by an 88-84 count over the Hornets lead by playoff MVP Preston Stephens and all league selection Matt Lynch.  It was an exciting night of basketball for the many who were in attendence and a great way to end the season as the High School season begins next week. 

Good Luck to all players from the league.

 

High school all league team:

Kofo Edmonds (Hope), Knicks

Darryl Taylor (Mt Pleasent), Celtics

Matt Lynch (Ponaganset), Hornets

Ariel Ramirez (Mt Pleasent), Lakers

Zerimar Ramirez (St Andrew's), Lakers

Jerrel Gomes (8th Grade), Bulls

Brandon Scott (Hope), 76ers

Mike Gore (St Andrew's), Suns

 

Co League MVP:

James Sorretine (St Ray's), Kings

Ray Cross (St Andrew's), Suns

 

Co Playoff MVP:

Preston Stephens (Central), Hornets

Jeffery Xavier (St Ray's), Bulls

ECAC Basketball Star on the Rise

November 10, 2003

CAPE COD. Mass. -- After quickly rising through the ranks as one of the top young basketball officials in the east, Michael Stephens has not forgotten his roots.

The 29-year-old Stephens, who cut his teeth as an ECAC official working Division II and III games in the late 1990's, has officiated Division I conference games in America East, Ivy League, Patriot League, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and for the past two years with the Big East.

He will begin working games this winter in such traditional basketball locales as Chapel Hill, Philadelphia and Richmond in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Atlantic 10 and Colonial Athletic Association.

But off the court, Stephens continues to work with youth in his hometown, Providence, Rhode Island, where he has worked as the city's athletic coordinator since 1994. His duties include assisting recreation centers and facilities coordinating league services in basketball, volleyball, other sports and both senior and youth activities.

"I've tried to be a positive role model as an official, athletic coordinator and youth coach," said Stephens, who was born and raised in the West End area of Providence. "I'm responsible for expansion of resources and revenue developments for the City of Providence and have coached youth basketball and football for the past 13 years and will continue to do so."

Stephens is a 1992 graduate of Central High School in Providence and began his officiating career as a junior varsity referee in 1995. He became a varsity official with the IABBO Board 84 in 1999 and the next year became a CBOA varsity official, through the auspices of the ECAC -- the nation's largest athletic conference.

"Michael is a very talented, young official whose stock continues to rise in many NCAA Division I conferences," said Steve Bamford, ECAC Assistant Commissioner for Officiating and Compliance. "In observing Michael, we recognized immediately that he exhibited the qualities found in many of our best officials. He has a strong work ethic, is passionate about officiating, and is always listening to his mentors as to how he can improve his performance."

One of Stephens' mentors is ECAC basketball coordinator Joe Mingle, a former Division I basketball official of distinction who worked NCAA and NIT tournaments as well as the ECAC Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden. "He (Stephens) has a bright future ahead of him," said Mingle. "Not only does he display an on-court presence, but he has terrific rapport with fellow officials, coaches and players."

Last season, Stephens officiated the Northeast-10 Tournament and culminated his year by working the NCAA Division II Championship game.

"(Officiating coordinators) Joe Mingel, Charlie Diehl, Art Hyland, Brad Tracy, Mickey Crowley and Ron Martel have provided me with the chance to utilize my talent as an official in their conference," said Stephens. "They have also given me motivation to allow my professional advancement and I appreciate the efforts they've made on my behalf."

"Michael is supremely confident of his abilities without being perceived to be arrogant, his on-court mechanics and judgement are outstanding, only to be exceeded by his communication skills with players, coaches and table personnel," said Bamford." We are proud to say the ECAC gave him his start in college officiating and thanks to Coordinator Joe Mingle and several other ECAC officials, Michael is on the verge of being recognized as one of the nation's finest young basketball officials."

The ECAC assigns officials for 190 men’s and 114 women’s basketball programs. The basketball officiating bureau is comprised of 1,340 officials and during the 2002-03 seasons, made 12,087 assignments.

The ECAC’s membership includes 315 Divisions I, II, and III colleges and universities from Maine to North Carolina. The conference provides services to its constituents that include: administration of 113 championships and events in 35 men’s and women’s sports; assigning officials in 15 sports; coordinating awards; administration of affiliate organizations, conventions, meetings, marketing, officiating, playing leagues, public relations and special events. The ECAC serves as the primary conference for selected members in the sports of men’s and women’s ice hockey, men’s lacrosse, men’s gymnastics, wrestling, fencing and rowing.


Written by John Garner, Jr.
 

 

Xavier to be a Jasper
 
Years of hard work and dedication have paid off for another Rhode Island Breaker.  Jeffery Xavier, 6'1 G Pawtucket who attends St. Ray's, has committed to Bobby Gonzalez and the Manhattan Jaspers.  After several college visits, Xavier visited Manhattan for Late Night Madness and was sold that this was the place for him.  Jeff has played with the Breakers since he was 13 years old and was a key component to Coach Jim Field's 17 year old team this past season.  So congratulations and good luck to Jeff from all at the Breakers organization

 

 

Congratulations to our Class of 2003 graduates.

The following student athletes will be continuing to help bring the Rhode Island basketball scene into more prominence.  Special congratulations to
Demetris Nichols, the first Breaker to play in the BIG EAST, he will be attending defending National Champions Syracuse Orangemen.  Also this year we will have two players attending schools in the Colonial Conference. Abdi Lidonde at Old Dominion and Henry Olawoye at Delaware.  They will get to continue the battles they had against each other in HS for St. Andrews and St. Marks, respectively.  So again congratulations and good luck to all former Breakers players.


Demetris Nichols - Syracuse
Abdi Lidonde - Old Dominion
Henry Olawoye - Delaware
Justin Wright - UNH (Football)
Kiley Lynch - Coastal Carolina
Josh Corria - Ithica
Kevin Bradley - Bowdion
Jim Reynolds - CCRI
Paul Pawlowski - UMass Dartmouth
Milos Mirkovic - Wingate

 

 RAFFLE WINNERS

First Prize - Compaq Lap Top - Kevin Kirby
Second Prize - 27"  Color TV - Eilleen Orovitz
Third Prize - RCA DVD Player - Gerry Manning Jr.
Fourth Prize - $50 Gift Certificate - Dan Gilcoine

 

2003 14U Nationals Prep Tournament

The Breakers enter this tournament with the hope of fine tuning their skills before going to the Nationals.

The Boston Blazers, Rhode Island Hawks, and Bay State Magic were three of the eight teams that provided that competition we were looking for.

In the semi-finals we faced a re-built RI Hawks teams that has added Anthony Fortes and Carlos Bryant. The Hawks ran out to an early led, but could not sustain it late in the game. This Breaker team showed why this organization’s teams are know as the " Best of the Best". Jorge Ventura taking charge late in the game, showing class as will as a lot of basketball talent, scored at will and made a number of steals to seal the victory. Breakers 14’s defeated the RI Hawks 64-61 in a well-played inter-state rivalry game.

With this Breaker team playing back to back games, we enter the finals with the confidence of winning this championship game. In the finals the Blazers come up with a victory in a game that saw lead changes during the entire game. Joseph Odugbela, Jorge Ventura and Antone Gray stepped up their games to make this a great game. It wasn’t our typical running game, but a half court game. Both teams showing talent and smarts running their sets, with ten lead changes during the last four minutes. We had a chance to win with less then six seconds to play, with Jorge's jumper hitting the front of the rim. In the end the Boston Blazers came away with a hard fought 68-67 win in the championship game.

 

BREAKER CHALLENGE
CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT
RESULTS

11 yr. olds RI Breakers 61 Westchester Hawks 57
12 yr. olds Fighting Irish 61 RI Breakers 59
13 yr. olds WBA Hawks 59 Westchester Hawks 38
14 yr. olds RI Breakers 59 WBA Hawks 57
15 yr. olds Renssealeaer Raptors Dib 56 Renssealeaer Raptors O'Shea 35
16 yr. olds Albany Capitals White 80 Albany Capitals Black 63
17 yr. olds (j) RI Rebels 94 (OT) RI Hawks 89
17 yr. olds (i) RI Breakers 74 NH Playaz 73

RI Breakers 16's Ready To Make The Trip
July 22-26, 2003
Las Vegas to Host 344 Boy's Prep Basketball Teams
for The 8th Adidas Big Time Tourney
Nation's Largest Summer Tournament to Feature 856 Games on 26 Courts at 13 High Schools

LAS VEGAS--America's finest young basketball talent will shine in the spotlight of Las Vegas this July when the 9th Annual Adidas Big Time boy's high school summer tournament lights up the neon-drenched sky of this popular entertainment and sports mecca. Tournament officials have announced July 22-26 as the dates for this year's massive NCAA sanctioned hoopfest. A record-tying total of 344 teams, from more than 40 U.S. States and Canada, will provide serious summer hardwood heat when 856 total games are played on 26 courts at 13 high school gyms in the Southern Nevada area. After three 'pool play' games for each team in two days, teams will then move into one of four single-elimination tournaments in front of more than 300 college coaches. Nearly 15 teams are expected from Nevada. In eight years, The Big Time has grown rapidly into the summertime event to watch and the tournament at which to be watched. Green Valley High School, located in suburban Henderson, will be the official Tournament headquarters and the site where the majority of the featured Open division games will be played. "The Adidas Big Time tournament continues to re-set the standard of excellence for summer tournaments ever since it began in 1995," said Larry McKay, who founded the tournament along with Green Valley coach Jim Allen. "Our format works extremely well, giving young players an incredible opportunity to compete at their individual skill level. Advance planning and organization have been our keys to success, but what really makes it all work is the dedicated staff that executes all the details of conducting games for nearly 4,200 athletes. The legendary Sonny Vaccaro and Adidas have enabled this event to become truly 'Big Time' in a city where massive is commonplace." Reading like a current who's who of young basketball superstars, alumni of The Adidas Big Time include Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady of the Orlando Magic and Lamar Odom of the LA Clippers. The teams with the best records from 72 four-team pools will advance along with the 56 top-seeded teams (seeded pre-tournament) to comprise the 128-team Open Division. The three additional A, B and C Divisions will include all the second, all the third and all the fourth place teams from Pool Play competing in their own respective 72-team single elimination tournaments. Besides Green Valley the other tournament sites in Henderson will be Basic HS, Coronado HS and Foothill HS while the site in N. Las Vegas will be Mojave HS. The Las Vegas area high schools hosting The adidas Big Time will be: Chaparral, Cimarron-Memorial, Desert Pines, Durango, Las Vegas, Palo Verde, Silverado and Valley. Each of the tournament sites features a main gymnasium and an auxiliary gym which will be utilized by the tournament. The Big Time also uses top game officials from throughout the West and National High School Federation rules are followed with a few exceptions, the major one of which is that the games are played in two 16-minute halves instead of four 8-minute quarters. Games will start at 9 a.m. daily. Green Valley and Durango will be the only venues in action during the tournament's final day and the championship games in all four Division will be held at Green Valley on Saturday, July 26. Previous Open Division champions in The Big Time are: Team New Orleans (1995), Illinois Warriors I (1996), DC Assault I of Maryland (1997), Michigan Mustangs (1998), New Orleans Jazz (1999), Atlanta Celtics I (2000), Long Island Panthers of New York (2001) and New York Ravens (2002). Past A Division champs are: Illinois Warriors II (1995), Bronx Ravens (1996), Dakota Schoolers of South Dakota (1997), LA Rockfish Orcas (1998), Valentino's Bison Red of Nebraska (1999), Friends of Hoop Black of Washington State (2000), Portland Elite Legends of Oregon (2001) and Stop Six of Texas (2002). Starting in 1997, B Division winners have been: Emerald City of Washington State (1997), Wisconsin Shooters (1998), Northern Stars of South Dakota (1999), Derek Smith All Stars Black of Kentucky (2000), Arizona Stars (2001) and SSA-Sacramento Platinum (2002). The C Division began in 1999 and winning titles have been: Packers Blue of Washington State (1999), Tru-Playaz of Colorado (2000), The Firm of Texas (2001) and Seattle Friends of Hoop-Green (2002). In less than eight weeks since this year's official entry forms have been posted, nearly 200 teams from 33 states and Canada have already entered The Adidas Big Time. The first official entry for 2003 was received from the three teams from the West Valley Basketball Club of Saratoga, Calif., on Feb. 23. Tournament officials expect to fill all spots in this year's 344-team field by the end of this month. For more information, contact the tournament headquarters at 702.256.9832

 

11 year olds wrap up successful season
The 11 year old Breakers wrapped up a successful season going 2-1 on Long Island this past weekend defeating the Long Island Lightning and Westchester Hawks after falling to the 3rd place team for Connecticut, The Future Stars.
Guards Malcum Moniz and Curtis Lucas both had very good weekends.  Overall for the season, the young Breakers lost only 9 games in their own age
ground and wrapped up the season winning 21 of their last 24 games against 11 year old competition.  The team made it to 4 finals winning 3 of them.  All twelve players on the team contributed throughout the year and all twelve
players hit a three pointer sometime during the year, with Quinnelle Simmons hitting his 1 and only in the last game of the season.  Coaches Darren and Nick would like to thank all the parents, players and other supporters for a great year and look forward to seeing you back next year.  Information about a tryout and the fall league will be up later on this summer.  Players and parents are welcomed to email either Darren or Nick about ways to improve the players game and are encouraged to email us to let us know where we will be able to see the player play this summer, fall and winter.  So again, Thank you for all your support and hard work this year and have a great summer.

11 and 13 year olds capture championships

Both the 11 and 13 year old Breakers traveled to Bridgewater State College this weekend for the Bay State Magic's Spring Shootout and took home the championships.  The 11 year old were led by the slick passing and great defense of Nick Manning and Curtis Lucas as they defeated the host Magic.  Trailing by 4 with 3 minutes left defensive steals by Manning and Ricky Ledo turned into baskets and the eventual win.  Manning hit 4 big free throws in the stretch to seal the 4 point victory for the Breakers.  In the process of winning the tournament the Breakers beat the second place Massachusetts team Bay State Magic twice and the 3rd place Bay State Warriors.  The 13 year olds captured yet another tourney title with a 14 point victory, also over host Bay State Magic.  This is the 4th time the Breakers have defeated the New England Champions this year.  Led by Jerrel Gomes and Manny Odugbela the injury depleted 13 year olds cruised their way into the finals with easy victories in pool play.  All eight players that dressed for the Breakers this weekend contributed. In the end Gome's offense and Odugbela's intimidation down low caused the championship to swing the Breakers way.  Both teams will be in action this week at the Breakers Challenge with the 13 year olds playing up and the 11 year olds hoping to continue on a roll that has seen them win 10 of their last 12 games including 6 in a row.

Former "RI Breaker" Baldelli needs your vote for All-Star

http://www.mlb.com  will get you to it!

 
Rocco Baldelli named AL Rookie of the Month

Tampa Bay Devil Rays center fielder Rocco Baldelli, who set a rookie record with 40 hits through April, has been named the American League Pepsi Rookie of the Month.

Baldelli, 21, batted .364 with 13 runs, nine doubles, two triples, one home run, 20 RBIs and two stolen bases in 27 games, leading all AL rookies in 12 offensive categories and all Major League rookies in nine. The Cumberland, Rhode Island native posted 13 multi-hit games, trailing only AL Pepsi Player of the Month Alfonso Soriano's 16 among AL players, and collected an AL rookie-best three outfield assists. Baldelli began his Major League career by opening up the 2003 season with a 13-game hitting streak, and compiled another 10-game hitting streak in April.

The sixth overall pick in the 2000 June draft hit safely in 24 of the 26 games in which he batted and, with his 40 hits through April, eclipsed the record set by Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki in April 2001. His .364 average is the highest by an AL rookie through April since Kansas City's Kevin Seitzer hit .382 in 1987. Baldelli's .500 average with runners in scoring position led all AL players, and he collected the game-winning RBI in three games in which the Devil Rays came from behind by three or more runs. Baldelli capped his outstanding month with two hits, including his first career home run, and five RBI in an 8-5 loss at Minnesota on April 30.

 

11 Year Old Breakers Capture First Title

Sunday afternoon the 11 year old Breakers beat CMAC 45-44 to capture their first ever title.  They closed the weekend at 4-0 beating Team Providence, the Ocean State Waves and the Boston Blazers 10's.  A fine group effort was made to win all the games.  Sunday the team played with only 8 players due to Mother's Day commitments.  Rickey Ledo was named MVP for the age group.  The team will travel to Holyoke Mass this weekend for the Western Mass Select May Shootout.  They will face the Massachusetts state champion Boston Blazers for the first time this year.

11 Year Olds go 2-2

After a tough Saturday were the team lost two games, by 1 in OT to Mass Hoops Jags 12 year olds and by 4 in overtime to Massachusetts 4th pace 11 year old team CMAC, the team came back with two impressive wins on Sunday.  In the first game, Ricky Ledo posted 18 points as the Breakers beat 11 year old Mass. State Champions Boston Blazers 40-39. Jordan Jones contributed 10 points and made a pair of free throws to put the team
up 40-39 with 26 seconds left.  The Blazers missed a desperation 3 pointer
from 3/4 quart for the Breakers win.  In second game the Breakers beat up Mohawk Trail 12's 52-30.  Jones paced the team offensively and Quinelle Simmons recorded several block shots defensively.   The team will be off Memorial Day weekend and back in action at Bridgewater State College the following weekend for the Bay State Magic tournament.

Breakers Cause Commotion at CCRI

Breaker teams continue to impress as 4 age groups reach championship play.  Most notable was Jim Field’s 17’s posting a convincing win over Coastal Pops, 76-61.  Coastal Pops, who recently had a heartbreaking loss to BABC in the Mass State Qualifier final by one point, could never get it going against the Breakers.  Coming off their 12th place National finish in the 16’s last year, the POPS looked to improve but ran into a formidable foe.  RI Breakers 12’s put a scare into Bubba Ball before running out of gas.  This is Bubba Ball’s 3rd straight championship.  Breaker teams in the 13, 15, and 16-year-old age groups played up.

 

Abdi Lidonde Inks Division 1 Scholarship With Old Dominion

 Monarchs Sign Three To Standout Recruiting Class

      April 23, 2003

NORFOLK, VA. - Old Dominion University head coach Blaine Taylor announced the signing of three recruits; two ranked in the top 125 in what could be the strongest recruiting class in recent years for the Monarchs. Brian Henderson (Richmond, VA.), Arnaud Dahi (Ivory Cost of Africa) and Abdi Lidonde (Sutton, Mass.) Have signed letters of intent to play at Old Dominion next season.

A consensus top 125 recruit, Abdi Lidonde is a 6-3, 185 pound shooting guard at St. Andrews. He earned first team All-New England honors and helped St. Andrews coached by Michael Hart to a 28-8 record and win the New England championship for the second time in three years.

Lidonde scored 1,896 career points at St. Andrews, located in Barrington, RI.,. He averaged 17.1 points, and 6.0 rebounds. He shot 51 percent from the floor and 47 percent from three-point range, making 119 treys this season. Lidonde scored 38 points with eight treys against Stone King, and 23 points against third ranked St. Patrick's.

"Abdi is a great kid, a very good student and an outstanding basketball player." said Hart. "He can really shoot the basketball, but he is also an outstanding defensive player."

"I was very impressed with the coaching staff and I just fell in love with the campus, the area and the arena," added Lidonde. An honor roll student, Lidonde plans to major in finance at Old Dominion. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Abdi Lidonde, Sr..

Says Taylor, "Abdi is a shooter deluxe, when you consider he shot 47 percent over a four year career. That's the kind of consistency you look for, but he brings a lot more to the table than just shooting. His ability to rebound and guard are important ingredients."

 

Rhode Island State Qualifier
May 2-4
RESULTS

Breakers Stockpile 4 State Championships
Bubba Ball 12's Crowned Champs
 
CCRI Warwick was the site for the Rhode Island State qualifier this past weekend and the host team, Rhode Island Breakers, were not too kind to their guests.  The Breakers were crowned champs in the 13,14,16 and 17 year old divisions in the double elimination tournament.  Dave Anderson's fine 12 year old team is the RI representative to the Nationals.  The 15's did not have a qualifier.  In all, 20 teams participated.  Including:  Washington County Cyclones, RI Bearcats, Team RI,  Providence United, RI Hawks, Bubba Ball, and RI Breakers

 

The 7th Annual
Commotion by the Ocean Tournament
May 9-11

 

--> Click here for details & directions<--

 

ROLLING SCHEDULE ALL GAMES
(updated 5/7 @ 22:30)

12-17 year old pools

(updated 5/7 @ 12:30)

 

The results from the 6th Annual Breakout Tournament

Rhode Island Breakers, Delaware Sharks Dominate Tournament

The Delaware Sharks rolled into town with 6 teams, placed 3 teams in the finals and went home with two championships.  The Breakers competed in 7 age groups, 5 went to the championship round and three13’s, 14’s, and 15’s went home with the gold. 
101 teams from 8 states competed in the 6th Annual tournament that had been held in Northeastern Connecticut for the previous 5 years. 

 For more info:  Click here
For Rules:  Click here


} directions to all courts {
(updated 4/25 @ 19:45 to reflect change
for Sunday Court 7)

POOLS
(updated 4/22 @ 21:30)
ROLLING SCHEDULE
(updated 4/24 @ 15:30)
3 GAMES EACH

(updated 4/24 @ 15:35)

 

- Rhode Island AAU State ChampionshipTournament-

U12, U13, U14, U15, U16, & U17

           May 2nd-4th Community College of Rhode Island Warwick Campus

3 game guarantee- $325 entry fee

Medals will be awarded for First, Second, and Third place teams.

Trophies will be awarded to First and Second place teams.

Membership:
All players and coaches must be current AAU

Don't wait - Registration Deadline - April 15, 2003

You can download the forms from:
www.neaau.org   
On the home page click on "New England State Championship forms now available"

Please send forms and check made payable to:
RI Breakers
Dave Vitale
227 River Rd
Putnam Ct 06260

860-963-9097  day    860-928-1604  home    860-428-4768   cell
david.vitale@snet.net  
Don't miss this great event!!

 

TOP 10   As of 3/16/03

1-St. Andrew's

2- Taunton (Ma)

3- Mt. Pleasant

4- Somerset(Ma.)

5- E. Providence

6-Cranston East

7- Hope

8- Durfee (Ma.)

9- Mt. Hope

10- Dartmouth (Ma.)

10- Exeter/West Greenwich

10- North Kingston

BREAKERS Capture Three Crowns in Baystate

Thanks to all of the 50 teams that attended our tournament.  We hope that you enjoyed the weekend and that the competition was at a good level for your team.  The following teams were crowned champion on Sunday:

11U - Mass Bearcats 3-0 in their pool
12U - Bay State Magic Dellabarba 4-0 in their pool
13U - RI Breakers in an outstanding comeback over the Predators
14U - RI Breakers over NH Falcons
15U - Mass Jaguars over South Shore Raiders
16U - RI Breakers over Ballhawks (great game)

Congratulations to all finalists and I hope to see you at our next tournament which will be 5/31-6/1 at Bridgewater State College.  Tournament information is on our website.

http://www.baystatemagic.com

 

Top 10 List of things parents should NOT do at their kid's basketball game.

1.  Keep your son's stats on a little pad.
2.  Shut the video camera off and on when
your son leaves and enters the game.
3.  Bad mouth the coach while sitting next
to the coaches wife.
4.  Yell to another player on the floor to stop being a pig and to pass the ball to your son.
5.  Re-live all the mistakes the coach made
when your son gets home
6.  If practice ends at 5:00 PM don't stroll
into the gym at 4:30 PM.
7.  Approach your son's coach after a tough
loss to discuss his lack of playing time.
8.  Yell at an opposing player who has fouled
your son and threaten him with a variety of evil happenings should he lay a finger on your son again.
9.  Abuse the officials.
10.  Ring a bell or any other obscene noise maker every time your kid scores.

Add yours to this list on our
MESSAGE BOARD

3rd Annual George Tedino Tournament in the Books

 When the dust settled late Sunday afternoon it was the Hartford City Stars and the RI Breakers that walked away with most of the hardware.  50 teams from New Jersey, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusettes, New York, and Rhode Island  enjoyed a beautiful weekend on the Knight campus of the Community College of Rhode Island and played some competive basketball.  There were NO forfeits and all games went off on or close to schedule with two officials.  Most Breaker teams will be competing in Kalon Jenkins' Bay State Magic Tournament in Brockton Mass this weekend
In the 17/Open division, Jim Field's Breaker team went 3-0 and headed off to Milt Kelly's Boys and Girls Club Tournament in Taunton along with the 3-0 16 year olds.
T-Shirts and Championship Trophies were awarded to the following winners:

11s  CJ Hawks 38 Harford City Stars 34
12s  Hartford City Stars 44 Bay State Colonials 32
13s  Hartford City Stars 60 RI Breakers 58
14s  RI Breakers 62 Hartford City Stars 57
15s  RI Breakers 44 MYCW 43
16s  Dead River 60 Monmouth Power 57

 

NEW BEDFORD -- Tony Gaffney, Somerset High School’s high-scoring, shot-blocking, 3-point shooting and ball handling senior, capped his scholastic basketball career by being named the male recipient of the annual Dave Cowens Achievement Award Wednesday night at    Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School.

New England Shooting Guard Is A Sleeper
 


Native New Englanders don't always generate as much attention as their prep school counterparts in the region, at times slipping through the cracks. Dwight Brewington (Providence) didn't burst onto the scene until relatively late. America East Conference player of the year TJ Sorrentine was an unheralded prospect out of Rhode Island who emerged as a standout at Vermont.
<<follow link for more...>>

 

New England PG Getting Division I Looks

TJ Sorrentine enrolled at Vermont as a relatively unheralded prospect out of Rhode Island. After two years in the America East Conference and Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year accolades, Sorrentine is anonymous no more.
<<follow link for more...>>

USA TODAY feature article on holiday tournaments

St. Andrew's defeated last year's Class C NEPSAC champion Lawrence Academy 64-43 at Rhode Island College.  Lawrence Academy featured two California players, Richard Roby, 18 points and 6' 9" point guard Sylvester Seay both juniors.  Matt Smith, a 6' 4" sophomore was game high with 20 points.  Lamar Barrett with help from Emery Outland constantly bothered Seay and forced the giant point guard into a multitude of turnovers.  Abdi Lidonde, 16 points, Demetris Nichols, 15 points and MVP and Outland, 13 points led the way.  But it was Outland's overall game that set the tempo for the day.  He directed the team, was relentless on defense, and had a considerable amount of rebounds for a 6' guard.

 

ughes tops coaches' victory list

Robert Hughes, boys basketball coach at Dunbar High (Fort Worth), set a U.S. record with his 1,275th victory Tuesday night.  Dunbar (30-1) defeated
Polytechnic 71-62 to let Hughes, 74, break a tie with Morgan Wooten, retired from DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.).
Kevin Bradley became the first player in PCD history to reach the 2,000-point milestone when he sank a 3-pointer in the second half as the Knights edged St. Thomas More, 80-76. Bradley finished the game with 37 points on six 3-pointers and 17-of-22 shooting from the foul line.

Stace Garrick, 32 points, West Warwick 72, Warwick 69.  Tom Driscoll netted 17.

ST. ANDREW'S 87, ST. RAPHAEL 43: Five players scored in double figures led by Emery Outland, who had 19 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds, as St. Andrew's romped in a nonleague contest. Also for St. Andrew's, Demetris Nichols had 12 points and 10 rebounds, Abdi Lidonde had 17 points, Lamar Barrett had 14 and Mike Gore added 10. St. Raphael's Jeff Xavier scored 10 points and recorded his 1,000th career point in a losing effort.
 
Eric Sliney, 20 points, 10 rebounds, Lincoln 52, North Smithfield 44

Texas Coach goes for victory record

Dunbar High (Forth Worth) coach Robert Hughes tries to tie the U.S. boys basketball victory record Friday against North Side ( Fort Worth ).  Hughes, 1,273-248 in 45 seasons, would tie the mark set in 2002 at DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) by retired Hall of Famer Morgan Wooten.  "I haven't mentioned it (to the team)," said Hughes, 74 who teaches health education.  "I'm just concerned with finishing unbeaten in our district and making a big push in the (Class 4A) playoffs."  Hughes' teams have won four state championships, the last in 1993.  "I'll probably get the record someday, if not in 2003 , then next season,"  said Hughes, who has no plans to retire.  -  Chris Lawlor  USA Today

 

USA TODAY Super 25 by Christopher Lawlor

Player of the week:  Demetris Nichols of St. Andrew's (Barrington, R.I.) totaled 38 points, 29 rebounds and 13 blocked shots in two games despite a sprained ankle.  The 6-8 Nichols, who's heading to Syracuse, is averaging 19
points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.1 blocked shots and is shooting 48% on 34 of 71 from three-point range.  He will be in the EA Sport Roundball Classic on March 31 in Chicago.
Mirkovic Having Productive Year  
By: Russ Blake

Milos Mirkovic, a 6-7, 230 pound power forward from St. Andrew's H.S. in Barrington, R.I., has generated some Division I recruiting interest with his fine senior season.
Every time Rivalshoops.com has seen Mirkovic play this winter, he has turned in productive performances.
At the recent Basketball Hall of Fame H.S. Invitational in Springfield, Mass., Mirkovic scored 17 points and hit the winning basket in a 66-64 victory over All Hallows H.S.
While Mirkovic isn't fleet afoot and his reactions aren't quick, he can score when he gets the ball in the low post. He has decent foot work and has a knack for finishing consistently around the basket. He shoots a high percentage from the field, and knows where his bread is buttered.
According to St. Andrew's Head Coach Mike Hart, Winthrop, Appalachian State and a number of Division II programs are monitoring Mirkovic this winter.
Interest Picking Up in Lidonde  
By: Russ Blake
Abdi Lidonde, a sharp-shooting 6-2, 180 pound shooting guard from St. Andrew's H.S. in Barrington, R.I., has seen his recruiting interest pick up greatly in the past month.
Bolstered by solid performances at the City of Palms in Florida and the Slam Dunk to the Beach in Lewes, Del., Lidonde's stock has risen significantly.
Rivalshoops.com caught up with St. Andrew's Head Coach Mike Hart after the Saints upended All Hallows H.S. of New York City at the Basketball Hall of Fame H.S. Invitational in Springfield, Mass.
Hart told Rivalshoops.com that Vanderbilt, George Mason, Rice, Dayton, Xavier and Rhode Island have all made inquiries regarding Lidonde in the past month. Penn, which had been Lidonde's top personal choice at one point, appears to be out of the picture, Hart said.
Lidonde can carry a team offensively when his shot is falling. He's not a particularly sharp passer, so he's pretty much going to have to be a two guard at the college level. He's a full academic qualifier and open to more schools getting involved.

Durfee qualifies for tourney – again
 
GREG SULLIVAN, Herald News Staff Reporter January 29, 2003

At St.FALL RIVER -- It was a bumpy start and a smooth finish.
Durfee shook Bishop Feehan off in the last four minutes for a 59-44 non-league boys’ basketball win Tuesday night at the Luke Urban Field House.
By winning, Durfee (10-3) qualified for the Division 1 South tournament, the second time such an announcement has accompanied a Durfee win in the last four days.
Johnson and senior Bobby Bailey both scored 20 points. The first of Johnson’s three 3’s, with 2:55 left in the first half, made it 24-21 and put Durfee ahead for good.
Despite his 20 points, Johnson’s best work may have been on defense. He guarded Feehan’s Carl Slate, whose muscle and outside touched had accounted for 25 points when Durfee won a close game earlier this month in Attleboro.
Slate finished with 13 points and just three points in the second.
"Jamal draws the tough assignments," Whiting said. "He covered (Somerset’s Tony) Gaffney the other night. Jamal did a good job limiting the kid’s" touches."

 

PAWTUCKET -- To say that Jeff Xavier is a winner might just be the understatement of the year. The St. Raphael Academy junior has become somewhat of a Derek Jeter of Rhode Island high school basketball in recent years. Winning is all he knows.
Ever since the seventh grade, Xavier has known nothing but state championships. Whether it’s been at Lincoln Middle School, where his teams won back-to-back state titles and went an amazing 42-0 over that span, or at St. Ray’s, where he’s won state titles in each of his first two seasons, Xavier just keeps winning, baby.
"He knows how to win," noted SRA coach Tom "Saar" Sorrentine. "He always comes up big in the end. When the game’s on the line, he’s the guy."
Perhaps a bit spoiled by so much success, Xavier might have not known what to do with himself when the Saints got off to an 0-3 start in Division 1-AA this season. These were unchartered waters for a player whose teams have gone a remarkable 90-8 over the previous four years. But Xavier, who’s as unflappable as they come, never panicked.
"I knew we were going to turn it up," he said earlier this week. "We weren’t going to back down that easily. I know our guys."
And sure enough, thanks largely to Xavier’s stellar play, the Saints have started to turn things around. Following Tuesday night’s 68-52 win over Central High, during which Xavier poured in 37 points, SRA has now won four in a row and is back above .500 (4-3) in league play. While Mount Pleasant and Hope High might be the two early favorites to unseat the four-time defending state champion Saints, don’t count SRA out just yet. Any team with Jeff Xavier on its roster has to be given at least a puncher’s chance.
***
XAVIER IS IN THE MIDST OF one of the greatest seasons the Times area has seen in a long while, emerging as a dominant player after being overshadowed by teammates like Mike Williams, Evan Meekins and Josean Vega his first two years. After averaging 8.1 points per game as a frosh and 9.4 last year, Xavier is far and away the top scorer in the area this year at 29.8 ppg., more than 10 points more than his nearest challenger.
The owner of a feather-soft jumper and a shooter’s mentality, he’s canned 56 three-pointers in just 12 games, shooting the rock at a remarkable 47-percent rate from beyond the arc. He was never better than on Dec. 28, when he drained nine three-pointers and poured in a whopping 49 points in a holiday tournament win over Cambridge Ringe & Latin.
"I was on fire," admitted Xavier, who’s as soft-spoken off the court as he is energetic on it. "I just felt it and kept on shooting."
"That was a prime-time game against a real good team, and he raised his level up," added Sorrentine. "If you can do that against a real good team, that’s saying something."
But Xavier is more than just a shooting star. Jet-quick and athletic, he leads the Saints with 4.4 steals per game and is a deft passer who sees the entire court and averages 4.0 assists. Perhaps most remarkably, Xavier is tops on the Saints in rebounding at 7.4 per contest.
"He’s quick, he can shoot the three, penetrate and he makes his foul shots (77 percent)," said Sorrentine. "He’s our leading rebounder, and he works every minute he’s on the court. He never says anything on the court, he just plays. Physically, he’s not going to overpower you. But with his quickness, he’s going to torment you."
It’s the type of all-around game that is starting to attract great interest among colleges. URI assistant coach Dan Theiss was at the Saints’ early-season game against Central Falls High, and Providence College assistant Bob Walsh was at SRA’s game at Hendricken High last Friday night. Xavier went up to New Hampshire for an official visit on Wednesday night.
Rider, Eastern Carolina and Massachusetts are among the other schools that have taken notice of him, but "I want to go to PC, though" Xavier said, matter-of-factly. "It’s my hometown, and I can stay here near my family."
The Friars have just started to hitch up to the Jeff Xavier bandwagon, and while it’s not exactly a fullcourt press just yet, it’s certainly more interest than PC is used to giving local products.
"Everyone always asked me, ‘Why doesn’t PC talk to (you)?’" Xavier said. "But I just received a big packet from them. I was happy. I’m sending them a tape of my 49-point game."
***
WHETHER OR NOT XAVIER IS A BONA FIDE BIG EAST prospect is still up for debate. Anyone who averages 29 points per game as a junior and can score 49 points against Ringe & Latin obviously has great talent, but the book on Xavier right now is that he’s a little too small. He’s 6-feet tall but weighs no more than 160 pounds, and there’s no question he needs to add a little muscle to his frame. It’s nothing Xavier hasn’t heard before.
"Everybody says he’s got to get stronger," said Sorrentine. "He’s athletic, and he’s going to get stronger at some point. Whether it’s next year of the year after, that’s going to come with time."
Xavier knows he’s got to bulk up a bit, which is why he’s on a dedicated weight-lifting regimen at the Boys & Girls Club of Pawtucket.
"I try to gain weight," he says in a tone that suggests that it’s not easy for him to do.
Xavier’s been a denizen of the Boys & Girls Club ever since he was about 8 years old, when he’d wake up at 9 a.m. and walk from his home in Prospect Heights to the club. He’s still a real gym rat, and in fact can be found at the club nearly every night, after his practice with the Saints is over.
It was at the Boys & Girls Club that he first saw the player who would influence his decision to attend St. Ray’s ---- Robert "Oobie" Griffin. He never even met Griffin, but he loved his game.
"I used to go to the Lynch Tournament (at the club each December) and see him play, and I always wanted to go to St. Ray’s after that," Xavier recalled.
When Xavier was about 13, his parents moved to Lincoln and he enrolled at Lincoln Middle School. The school’s hoop team posted those consecutive perfect seasons and won two state titles ("It was great," Xavier recalled. "We had an awesome team."). Then Xavier’s family moved back to Pawtucket and he enrolled at the school where his hero used to play.
"I always wanted to come here," he said. "It’s like a dream for me."
Next up on Xavier’s dream list is "one for the thumb" --- a fifth straight state title for the Saints, and a fifth straight personal state title for him. Over the next year, he’ll have to decide which school is the best fit for him, or whether a year of prep school might be best. His dreams lie just a few miles down the road on Smith Hill, but reality might lead him elsewhere.
While he’d prefer to play the two in college, Xavier believes he’d likely be a point guard for a major Division One school like the Friars. PC already has fabulous freshman Donnie McGrath locked up for the next three years, as well as a pair of blue-chip guard recruits (Dwight Brewington and Gerald Brown) coming in next fall.
Whatever happens, Xavier is sure to help some collegiate program in the future.
"He’d be a good catch for anybody," said Sorrentine.
"I think I can play anywhere in the country," Jeff Xavier added. "I just need a chance."

COACH 'K' IN THE HOUSE !!

DUKE COACH MIKE KRYZEWKI MADE A STOP IN BRIDGEPORT TUESDAY TO SEE TRINITY CATHOLIC-STAMFORD'S DAVE MCCLURE.  THE 6'5" JUNIOR DID NOT DISAPPOINT!  MCCLURE HAD 16 POINTS DESPITE MISSING A LARGE PORTION OF THE SECOND HALF OF THE CRUSADER'S 68-43 VICTORY OVER HARDING-BRIDGEPORT.

 

Prep Stars Top 20 lists Worcester Academy #2

Worcester Academy (Worcester, Mass.) ­ (13-1)  

Results: Crushed Choate, 83-43; Beat Avon Old Farms
(Conn.), 90-74; Defeated Brewster (N.H.), 96-70; Beat Tabor (Mass.),96-86; Edged New Hampton (N.H.), 64-60.

Next: Jan. 24 vs. New Hampton; Jan. 25 vs. Hun; Jan. 27
at St. Thomas More; Jan. 29 vs. Clark Univ. JV; Jan. 31 vs.
Trinity-Pawling

Notes: With Blair losing to St. Benedict’s, Mo Cassara’s
club is knocking on the door for the top spot. 
Senior
guard Dwight Brewington (Providence) scored 26 against Brewster, 22 against Avon and he had 16
against both
Tabor and New Hampton
.
 Forward Sam Kaplan (Yale)
led the team with 19 points and 16 boards against New Hampton’s mammoth front line and he also had 20 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists against Tabor.

 

Ex- New London High School (CT) and URI star Tyson
Wheeler
continued his outstanding season by passing for
an all-star game record 14 assists.  Wheeler is averaging 15.6 points, 8.1 assists for the Yakima Sun Kings.

Goyette sets mark in boys’ victory

DARTMOUTH -- It may have been the toughest five points of Ryan Goyette’s life.
It took the Dartmouth High senior almost 13 minutes, but when he grabbed his own missed shot and put it in with 5:07 to play in the first half, he not only surpassed Marlon Burns on the Indian boys’ all-time career scoring list, but it ignited a 13-3 run, which helped the Indians to a 63-50 victory over arch-rival Bishop Stang Tuesday night inside O’Brien Gym.
Burns’ total of 1,191 points had stood as the boys’ all-time mark at Dartmouth for almost a quarter of a century, but breaking it didn’t mean nearly as much to Goyette as winning the game and having his father, Arthur, there to see it.
"To have him here means more than any record," said Goyette, shortly after the game was in the books. "And to be truthful, all I really was worried about was winning this game because we knew that Stang was going to really play us tough in their gym. They’re on the verge of not making the tournament and we knew they’d be fired up for us."
"It never is," said Dartmouth coach Steve Gaspar, who saw his team improve to 6-1 in the Eastern Athletic Conference and 10-2 overall.
"I’m just happy for the win and happy for Ryan, and we’re still in the hunt for first place.

 

Former Providence College star John Linehan left the
NBDL's Greenville team, but quickly landed with the Dakota Wizards of the CBA and played his first game last week.

                  -->  DAKOTA WIZARDS WEB SITE  <--

 

SPRINGFIELD -- In the first meeting in 14 years,
the Durfee High basketball team defeated
Springfield Central High, 62-58, at Springfield
College
The last time that the two schools met was in the state
championship game in 1989, where Judd McDonald and Mike
Herren led the Toppers past future NBA star Travis Best.

The first half was tight, with Springfield leading at the half, 32-29.
But in the second half the Hilltoppers began to pull away and
built an 11-point led midway against the much taller Eagles.

Jamal Johnson and Bobby Bailey led the modern Toppers
Monday, scoring 20 and 14 points respectively.

Johnson, and Coury, along with Levon Murrell, did a great job
down the stretch of boxing out on the defensive boards.

"They were killing us on the boards, but those three really
stepped up," said Durfee coach Kevin Whiting, whose team is
8-2.

QUINCY -- Paul Pawloswki had a monster night for Taunton High as the Tigers opened up a 10-point advantage at the half and then ran away with a 73-44 road win at North Quincy in boys basketball action.
Pawlowski, a senior forward, led the team with 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists, four steals and four blocks as THS improved to 10-1 on the season, and 7-0 in the Old Colony League.

The Tigers come into the week with a two game advantage in the OCL over Silver Lake. Pawlowski (19.4 points per game), Simpson (19.3) and and Eric Johnson (14.5) are three of the top five scorers in the OCL this season.

Taunton is off until Friday night when they host Barnstable in another important OCL battle.

St. Andrew's Nips All Hallows  
By: Russ Blake
Date: January 20, 2003


SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Milos Mirkovic scored the go-ahead basket with 10 seconds remaining to lift St. Andrew's H.S. of Rhode Island to a thrilling 66-64 victory over All Hallows H.S. of N.Y. on Sunday at the 2nd Annual Hall of Fame H.S. Invitational.

All Hallows had a chance to win the game or send it into overtime, but the Gaels couldn't get a shot off in the waning seconds as time expired.

All Hallows' Terrell Elliston had the ball at the top of the key with the clock winding down, and he tried to find sharpshooter deluxe Ronald Ramon for a game winning shot. However, his errant pass was knocked away by St. Andrew's as time expired.

Ramon, a deadeye shooting 6-0 junior combo/point guard, exploded for 28 points on 11 of 19 shooting. He shot a crisp five of 10 from beyond the arc, and helped the Gaels build a 29-22 half-time lead.

Midway through the second half, the Saints rallied to tie the game at 43 on a three point basket from Abdi Lidonde.

>From that point on, the game see-sawed back and forth until Mirkovic caught a great post entry feed and scored at the basket to give St. Andrew's the 66-64 advantage.

Mirkovic, a rugged 6-6 senior power forward, finished with 17 points on eight of 12 shooting. Syracuse bound Demetris Nichols added 15 points and eight rebounds, while unsigned senior guard Abdi Lidonde tallied 12.

Elliston was the only Gael player aside from Ramon to hit for double figures. He finished with 14 points and three assists.
By BUDDY THOMAS, Standard-Times Senior Sports Editor

DARTMOUTH -- There was never any question about Durfee's all-around athleticism.
But when the question of how to stop the tandem of Jamal Johnson and Bobby Bailey arose, Dartmouth didn't have any answers.
Johnson and Bailey combined for 42 points on a variety of shots ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime as the visiting Hilltoppers built a 22-point second half lead and cruised past the Indians, 67-54, before a big crowd here last night.
With the win Durfee improved to 9-2 on the season while the loss was just the second in 10 starts for Dartmouth.
"We just had no answers for those two guys," said coach Steve Gaspar after watching his Indians almost run out of breath trying to keep up with lightning-quick Hilltoppers.
  Johnson scored a game-high 25 points -- his first four field goals coming on five shots from behind the 3-point line -- while Bailey added 17 points with his seven field goals ranging from an NBA-like 3-pointer and slam dunk.
  Dennis Mello scored 10 points to join Johnson and Bailey in double figures while Ryan Goyette and Logan McNamara scored 11 and 10 points to join Gilchrist in twin digits for Dartmouth.

LIDONDE DOES IT AGAIN

By Jeff Goodman   JGood67213@aol.com   December 28, 2002

LEWES, Del. -- Abdi Lidonde nailed seven trifectas against St. Patrick (N.J.) one week ago in a disappointing overtime loss. The unsigned St. Andrews (R.I.) senior matched the seven treys Friday night, but this time it came in a win.

Lidonde was unconscious from both wings to help give St. Andrews a 76-56 victory over a mammoth Laurinburg Institute (N.C.) team at the Slam Dunk to the Beach.

``I’m just feeling it now," said Lidonde, who was throwing up the previous night after being hit with the flu. "It’s the same thing as last year, except I’m much more consistent. Our bench came up strong and everyone stepped it up tonight."

The 6-3 Lidonde started with a trio of three-pointers from the left wing in the first half and then buried four threes from the right corner after the break. He finished with 25 points and was 7-of-10 from three-point land.

Syracuse-bound forward Demetris Nichols was plagued by foul trouble, but still managed 16 points. Junior forward Lamar Barrett added 10 points.

Lidonde, who is clearly one of the top shooters remaining on the board, is still awaiting the results of his most recent ACT attempt. He scored a 20 on his last test, but said he needs to gain two more points in order to gain acceptance into Penn.

``I’ll find out when we get back to school," Lidonde said. "But if I get into Penn, I’ll probably end up going there."

Other schools that were looking at Lidonde prior to the Slam Dunk to the Beach include Xavier, Rhode Island and Rider

 

Pawlowski’s night to remember

Gazette staff reports January 21, 2003

QUINCY -- Paul Pawloswki had a monster night for Taunton High as the Tigers opened up a 10-point advantage at the half and then ran away with a 73-44 road win at North Quincy in boys basketball action.
Pawlowski, a senior forward, led the team with 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists, four steals and four blocks as THS improved to 10-1 on the season, and 7-0 in the Old Colony League.

The Tigers come into the week with a two game advantage in the OCL over Silver Lake. Pawlowski (19.4 points per game), Simpson (19.3) and and Eric Johnson (14.5) are three of the top five scorers in the OCL this season.
Gaye helps Bryant come back to top Franklin Pierce in O.T.

Junior guard Gouty Gaye came off the bench to score a season-high 14 points, including the last four points in regulation and eight in overtime, leading Bryant to a 76-68 victory over Franklin Pierce yesterday at the Bryant Athletics & Recreation Center in Smithfield.

The Bulldogs were losing 65-60 and cut the lead to four when Mike Williams made one-of-two free throws with 1:29 remaining in regulation. After a Ravens turnover, Gaye scored on a layup with 50 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, the Ravens' Jimmie Hunt drove to the hoop with 15 seconds left but was blocked by Williams on his attempt. Gaye came up with the rebound, went the length of the court and scored with nine seconds on the clock.

In overtime, the Bulldogs took a 69-68 lead when Gaye made a steal and found teammate Marc DiFanti for a layup with 2:40 left. Bryant never looked back, scoring seven unanswered points to close out the contest.

 

One player who helped his stock at the Slam Dunk to the Beach Tournament was 6-2 senior shooting guard Abdi Lidonde of St. Andrew's H.S. in Barrington, R.I.
Lidonde was one of the top three point shooters at the Slam, helping the Saints to a 1-3 record at the loaded tournament. He converted 18 of 38 three point attempts in four games, and averaged 16.7 points per game.

St. Andrew's Head Coach Mike Hart told Rivalshoops.com that Lidonde has been offered scholarships by Manhattan and Rider. Penn is Lidonde's top choice, although Abdi will need to boost his test score in order to get admitted to the Ivy League school. He has a qualifying test score already, but Ivy League schools typically require higher test scores than do non-Ivy League programs.

Rhode Island and Xavier also expressed some preliminary interest in Lidonde this winter.

"Abdi has proven himself everywhere we've gone," Hart said. "He's only 17 years old and will be a four-year guy, and he really shoots it."

St. Andrew's, which played in both the Slam Dunk to the Beach and the City of Palms in Fort Myers, Fla., is playing a very aggressive schedule this winter. Lidonde will have more chances to show his wares to college coaches over the coming weeks and months, and Rivalshoops.com will be on hand to see him in action again this winter.

We'll keep you abreast on any changes in his recruitment, so keep it here for top coverage of recruiting on the internet.

 


Gazette photo by PAUL ROBINSON

Paul Pawlowski works his way between a pair of Falmouth defenders last night in Taunton’s 84-47 win. Pawlowski scored 14 points in the win.

Boxer boys top Durfee to stay perfect

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Sunday's Stony Brook at Vermont Men's Basketball game on Sunday had plenty of local flavor.  D.J. Munior, Bishop Hendricken, was Stony Brooks starting point guard.  Sitting out for Vermont was D.J's old Breaker teammate T. J. Sorrentine , St. Ray's.  Next to Sorrentine on the bench was red shirt guard Alex Jensen, Stonington HS, who competed against Sorrentine and Munior many times for the Vagabonds in AAU play.  Vermont won the game 66-47.

 

Former St. Raphael star T.J. Sorrentine, the player-of-the-year in the America East Conference last season for Vermont, has decided to redshirt this season. The point guard broke both wrists in an intrasquad  scrimmage before the start of the season.

An American East spokesperson who was at the Dunkin' Donuts Center to see league member Northeastern last night said Sorrentine tried to practice this week for the first time since being injured. One wrist felt OK, but the other was still too painful and would require more time. Vermont officials notified the league that Sorrentine will sit out the season, thus would still have two years of eligibility remaining.

South Kingstown's Toby Brittain, meanwhile, has left Northeastern and is now attending Clarion State in Pittsburgh. Because that is a Division Two program, he is eligible to play immediately.

 

NEWARK, DE -- University of Delaware's men's basketball coach David Henderson has announced the signing of four student-athletes during the National Letter of Intent program's early signing period.

The Blue Hens have signed commitments from 6-8 forward Henry Olawoye, 6-7 forward Octavius Flowers, 6-7 forward Herb Courtney, and 6-9 forward Lebo Maepa.

Olawoye is a Woonsocket, RI native who enrolled two years ago at St. Mark's Prep School in Southbourough, MA, a suburb of Boston. Last season, he earned All-Independent School League honors at St. Mark's, averaging 14.8 and 9.3 rpg. He also earned all-tournament honors at the Boys Club of New York Holiday Classic. He is also a member of St. Mark's baseball squad.

 

 
 
 

 

DIRECTIONS:

Bishop Hendricken

Providence Country Day

Nickerson

Rainone Gym
Johnston, RI

Rhode Island College

Marianapolis Prep, Thompson, CT

CCRI
Warwick, RI

Neutaconkanut

CCRI
Lincoln, RI


Johnson & Wales

 

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